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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28433688">hope is a dangerous thing</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/godhateslev/pseuds/godhateslev'>godhateslev</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Komahina Stuff [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Super Dangan Ronpa 2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Normal High School, At least not physically, Canon-Typical Violence, Childhood Friends, Drug Withdrawal, Everyone Is Alive, Hinata Hajime &amp; Nanami Chiaki Friendship, Hinata Hajime &amp; Soda Kazuichi Friendship, Hospitals, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Internalized Homophobia, Komaeda Nagito Is Not Ill, Komaeda Nagito's Luck Cycle, M/M, Minor Nanami Chiaki/Sonia Nevermind, Neurodiversity, Non-Graphic Violence, Sane Enoshima Junko, Slow Burn, Teen Years, autistic komaeda nagito, child abuse yeah yeah, fellas is it gay to harbor a mental patient in your house, hajime finds a mental patient in the forest and is like 'cool new friend', nagito still has his luck, no ultimates but they're still talented at some things, sonia is not a princess but she's rich</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 20:20:10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>30,194</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28433688</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/godhateslev/pseuds/godhateslev</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Hinata Hajime finds a lost boy in the middle of the forest, and takes him home. As it turns out, he has a lot to learn about the all-too-quiet town of Hope's Creek, and the mystery of Komaeda Nagito.<br/>~<br/>started as a stranger things AU but now its just going whereverthefuck<br/>~<br/>OK GUYS I MADE A PINTEREST BOARD FOR THIS STORY CHECK IT OUT PLS IT WOULD MEAN THE WORLD TO ME<br/>https://www.pinterest.com/boiledfeetbeta/hope-is-a-dangerous-thing/</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hinata Hajime/Komaeda Nagito</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Komahina Stuff [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2194500</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>50</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>124</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>ive never written anything but oneshots so BIG YIKES,,,<br/>comments and kudos are always welcome, they make me happy</p><p>if people like this i'll update it weekly or bi-weekly</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Nanami was nice. Ever since I moved to Hope’s Creek, she had sort of been my guide. Even if she was kind of awkward and spent a lot of time daydreaming, I liked her. She was cool with showing me around school and helping me with my homework, so I decided she wasn’t a threat.</p><p>Today she offered to walk me home, this time through the forest. It was fall, leaves crunching under our boots as we explored the wilderness. It wasn’t very wild, though, because Nanami pointed out a bunch of hiding spots and stored goodies. She explained that Souda had put them there in case anyone got lost.</p><p>“They say there’s a ghost in this forest, Hinata-kun.” She said absentmindedly.</p><p>“Yeah, sure.” I huffed. She giggled.</p><p>“I’ve seen her. I think.”</p><p>I snorted, shoving my hands in my coat pockets. Nanami knelt down, skipping a rock across the creek.</p><p>“Ten points.” She said.</p><p>She was big into video games, even though there was only one arcade in the whole town. I shivered as the air blew through my hair. We ended up back on main street, where she stopped and let me go. I waved goodbye as I knocked on the door to our house.</p><p>It was by far the largest one I’d ever stayed in, two stories tall with a basement underneath. Nanami liked our basement because of the rusty old pinball machine down there. I liked it too, but not for that reason.</p><p>My mother opened the door, embracing me. I wiggled out of her grasp, running up the stairs and kicking off my shoes. I flopped down on my bed, setting my backpack on the floor. I cranked open a window, resting my hands on the frame as I stared outside at the trees. There was a fence separating our yard and the forest, but Nanami assured me it was fine to climb it, and that no one ever got in trouble for trespassing.</p><p>I groaned, slipping my shoes back on. Tomorrow was Friday, and I didn’t quite feel like doing my homework—so I made the executive decision to explore the forest. I shoved my cell phone in my pocket, zipping up my coat.</p><p>~</p><p>I sat down by the creek, playing a game of Tetris on my phone. The screen lit up with a <em>GAME OVER </em>and I shut it off.</p><p>My parents had moved here for work, meaning I would have to spend my freshman year of high school in a rural town in God-knows-where. It was nice, sure, but I wanted to go home—and it was a long way until summer.</p><p>I stood up, humming a tune as I walked through the forest.</p><p>“That song is pretty.”</p><p>I shrieked, whipping my head around.</p><p>A small person was behind me, their wispy white hair covering their eyes. There were sticks in their hair and on their clothes, a thin white nightgown. They were barefoot and must have been freezing.</p><p>“Ghost!” I yelped.</p><p>“Where?” They clung onto me, wrapping their thin arms around my waist. “Hey, wait, are you tricking me?”</p><p>Big grey eyes bore into mine. I stuttered.</p><p>“I—uh— sorry, who are you?”</p><p>“Who’re you?” They replied.</p><p>“I asked first.”</p><p>“Oh, sorry. My name is Komaeda Nagito.”</p><p>“Hinata. Hinata Hajime.”</p><p>Komaeda let go of me, folding their arms. My phone beeped in my pocket, and they flinched at the noise.</p><p>“Uh, sorry, are you a girl or a boy?”</p><p>They looked back up at me with puppy eyes.</p><p>“I’m a boy, but if it makes you happier, you can call me a girl.”</p><p>“Uh, what are you doing out here? Are you cold?”</p><p>“I live here, Hajime-kun.”</p><p>“H-hey, you can’t just call me by my given name, we barely know each other!”</p><p>What kind of boy was Komaeda?</p><p>“Oh, sorry. But I do live here, and yes, I am cold.” He paused. “What’s that thing in your pocket, Hinata-kun?”</p><p>“My phone?” I asked, pulling it out. He gasped, grabbing it from my hands.</p><p>“Wow!” He pressed the keypad, seemingly trying to unlock it. “What is it?”</p><p>“Hey! Give that back!”</p><p>“Oh, sorry.” He said once again as I took it from him.</p><p>“Um. I should probably head home now, do you want to come?” I said. “You’re probably hungry.”</p><p>“Oh, sorry, I can’t. You can come to my house, though.” Without waiting for a response, Komaeda grabbed my hand and pulled me through the forest. By the time we reached wherever the hell we were going, I was out of breath.</p><p>“Wh-where are we?” I panted.</p><p>“My house.”</p><p>I looked down to see a small hut made of tree branches and logs. Underneath was a matchbox, ring, and dusty green jacket.</p><p>“Do you actually live here?” I asked him.</p><p>“Yeah, it’s my house. Wanna see my things?”</p><p>“Komaeda.” I said. He cocked his head. “You need to come home with me. We’ll find your parents. Jeez, how long have you been lost for?”</p><p>“For forever.” He replied. I picked up his things and grabbed his arm, dragging him all the way back to the fence.</p><p>~</p><p>“I can’t go.” He said.</p><p>We were standing by the chain-link fence, Komaeda still grasping my hand.</p><p>“Why not?”</p><p>“’Cause if I do, she’ll get me.”</p><p>“Who?”</p><p>“Never mind.”</p><p>“My mom isn’t home, so you can hang out in my room.”</p><p>After a bit of persuading, he agreed to climb the fence and let me call around for his parents. I felt bad that someone as strange as Komaeda was lost, for God knows how long. But I was helping him, and that was all that mattered.</p><p>Once we had hopped the fence, I opened the back-porch door so Komaeda could come in. He stood in our living room, looking around in awe. I had only known him for a couple hours, but I deemed him non-threatening enough to invite him into our home. Mom would be mad, but I had better things to worry about.</p><p>I took his hand and guided him up the stairs and into my room. I closed and locked the door.</p><p>“Okay, you need a change of clothes.” I pulled open my dresser drawer, throwing him a pair of my pajamas. “Put these on.”</p><p>He began untying his robe.</p><p>“Not here!” I yelled. He flinched, apologizing as he rushed into the bathroom.</p><p>Only then did the situation dwell on me. I had found a lost child in the woods, brought him into my home, and now he was wearing my clothes. And I would have to explain <em>this </em>to my parents. Komaeda was certainly… odd, to say the least.</p><p>
  <em>Speaking of Komaeda…</em>
</p><p>He walked out of the bathroom in clothes that were far too big on him, but he didn’t seem to mind. He sat on the floor, next to my bed, waiting patiently for me to say something.</p><p>“What are you doing?” I asked.</p><p>“Waiting for Hinata-kun.” He said.</p><p>“You can sit on the bed, you know.”</p><p>He looked delighted, hopping up on the mattress. I took a seat next to him.</p><p>“Where did you come from?” I asked.</p><p>“A bad place.”</p><p>Okay, that didn’t really answer my question.</p><p>“Uh, how old are you?”</p><p>“Ten plus four.”</p><p>He was fourteen? He looked like a ten-year-old.</p><p>I sighed. We really weren’t getting anywhere.</p><p>“Komaeda.”</p><p>He looked up at me with those big eyes of his.</p><p>“Can I brush your hair?”</p><p>He nodded slowly, giving me a grin. I took that as a yes and grabbed the handle of my hairbrush from my dresser. I bunched a bit of his unruly hair into my left hand and began untangling it with my right. It looked like it hurt, but Komaeda stayed completely silent.</p><p>
  <em>God, this is so weird. </em>
</p><p>He fiddled with my bedsheets as I continued brushing out his white curls, occasionally picking out a twig or leaf. He hummed something to himself.</p><p>“What are you singing?” I asked.</p><p>“The one you did. Earlier today.”</p><p>“Oh. That’s <em>Clair de Lune</em>. I can play it on the piano, if you want me to show you…”</p><p>“That sounds nice, Hinata-kun. It’s a pretty song.”</p><p>~</p><p>My mother texted me, saying she wouldn’t be home until tomorrow afternoon. Apparently she had some stingy client to deal with.</p><p>Komaeda wouldn’t leave my side ever since we got home, clinging to my shoulder or squeezing my hand.</p><p>“What do you want to eat? I can make pizza…”</p><p>He was standing right behind me.</p><p>“That.” He pointed to a box of macaroni. “Make that.”</p><p>“Oh, sure.”</p><p>I ripped open the cardboard box, boiling some water in a pot. I poured him a glass of milk and he followed me to the living room couch. I turned on some kids channel and was about to close it when I noticed Komaeda staring intently at the television screen. He had his knees pulled up to his chest, sipping his drink.</p><p>“What are you watching?” I asked.</p><p>“It’s cool.” He replied, not bothering to make eye contact with me. He rested his head on my shoulder, snuggling into me.</p><p>I blushed. This was the first time anyone had ever been this close with me, and it was the weird forest boy.</p><p>“In the building I can’t watch TV.” He says. I turn to him. “The lady says I have to solve my puzzles first.”</p><p>I honestly had no idea what he was talking about, but I smiled.</p><p>“Well, you can watch here.”</p><p>I stood up again as I heard the timer on the water go off.</p><p>I went into the kitchen to pour the pasta into the pot, as I heard Komaeda yelp. I rushed back over to his side to see my cat on his lap. She purred, rubbing her head against Komaeda’s chest. He was trembling.</p><p>“Hinata-kun, help me!”</p><p>I laughed. He still looked petrified, not moving.</p><p>“That’s Monomi.” I said, once my laughter had subsided. “I think she likes you.”</p><p>Monomi purred, her fluffy white fur enveloping Komaeda. The little bell on her pink collar jingled as she kneaded her paws into his shirt. Komaeda slowly lowered a hand to rub behind her ears. She mewed.</p><p>“Hi, Miss Monomi…” He whispered. “You are very soft.”</p><p>I chuckled, heading back to the stove. I stirred the pasta as I listened to Komaeda’s one-sided conversation with Monomi. It was surprisingly cute.</p><p>My face went red.</p><p>
  <em>Obviously, it wasn’t cute! What am I thinking?</em>
</p><p>“Hinata-kun, look!” I heard. “Look! Miss Monomi is playing with me!”</p><p>He sounded absolutely delighted. I drained the macaroni from the pot, letting the pasta cool in the strainer as I set out two ceramic bowls. I opened the flavoring packet, pouring its contents into the now-empty pot.</p><p>I poured the macaroni into the bowls, bringing them to the couch. Komaeda was cuddling with Monomi.</p><p>“Here.” I said, handing him the bowl. “Don’t feed the cat, she eats enough.”</p><p>He nodded, giving Monomi a sad smile as if to say ‘<em>I’m sorry’. </em>I flipped through the channels on the television.</p><p>“What do you want to watch?” I asked.</p><p>“Anything, as long as it’s not scary.”</p><p>“Uh, cool. How about <em>‘Magical Miracle Girl Usami!</em>☆’” I laughed. “That’s dumb, though, isn’t it?”</p><p>“Oh, no. It’s not dumb at all, Hinata-kun.”</p><p>Monomi purred. I clicked it on, watching as the magic pink rabbit flew on screen in a tutu, sparkles coming from her wand. I looked over to see Komaeda had already finished his food.</p><p>“Oh, sorry, do you need something else to eat?” I asked him. He shook his head.</p><p>“Don’t worry about it, Hinata-kun! This is much more than I’m used to getting. Thank you for being so generous to scum like me!”</p><p>“Hey, don’t say that. We’re growing teenagers—we need food. Hey, Komaeda—this ‘bad place’ you came from? Can you tell me more about it?”</p><p>“They say they’re going to help me. But it’s not helpful. Just a bunch of mean adults always watching. They need to supervise me. In case I do something dangerous.”</p><p>“What are they going to help you with?”</p><p>“To fix me. So I’m rid of my disease.”</p><p>“Disease…?”</p><p>“Not a sick disease. In there.” He pointed to his head. “It’s all wrong.”</p><p>“Oh.”</p><p>Wait.</p><p>Did this kid escape from a psych ward? And am I harboring a mental patient in my home? Shit.</p><p>I got out my cell phone and messaged Nanami, which I probably should have done from the beginning.</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>ME – 5:20PM<br/>
</em>
  </strong>
  <em>i need you to come over here like right now</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>CHIAKI NANAMI – 5:21PM<br/>
</em>
  </strong>
  <em>can it wait<br/>
im busy</em>
</p><p>
  <strong></strong>
  <em>ME - 5:21PM</em><br/>
<em>no ! get ovr here<br/>
serious prblm</em>
</p><p>I clicked off my phone.</p><p>“Did they ever… tell you what’s wrong?” I asked.</p><p>“I don’t remember. But they’re bad people, Hinata-kun. I can’t go back there.” He wrapped his arms around his shoulders, trembling. “Don’t send me back, please. They’re going to do experiments on me. Please, I don’t wanna go back—”</p><p>“Don’t worry, I’m not going to send you anywhere.” I paused. “What do you mean, they’re going to do experiments on you?”</p><p>If I wasn’t nervous before, I surely was now.</p><p>“They’re going to hold me down and give me shots, and show me scary movies and play loud sounds, I don’t wanna do that, it scares me—” He was breathing heavily, voice cracking.</p><p>I did the first thing that came to mind and pulled him in for a hug, resting his head on my shoulder. I could feel his eyes wetting my shirt sleeve. I rubbed his back hesitantly.</p><p>A knock at the door. He flinched, digging his nails into my sides.</p><p>“Komaeda, let go! It’s just my friend.”</p><p>He reluctantly dropped his arms, still grasping my hand when I stood up to open the door. Nanami was stood there, her bike leaning against her hip, unbuckled helmet hanging off her head. Komaeda was crouched behind me, peeking out slowly. Nanami raised an eyebrow at me.</p><p>“Komaeda, I want you to meet my friend. This is Chiaki Nanami.”</p><p>Nanami waved, giving him a soft smile.</p><p>“Hey, hey.” She said, slipping off her helmet. Her mauve hair was pulled into a short ponytail, a Band-Aid stuck on her nose. “Nice to meet you.”</p><p>She held out her hand. Komaeda stared at it, still clinging to me.</p><p>“This is Nagito Komaeda.” I said, cocking my head in his direction. “I found him in the forest.”</p><p>“Are you guys watching <em>Usami?” </em>Nanami glanced over at the television.</p><p>“Um--!”</p><p>“Do you like it?” It was the first thing Komaeda had said since she arrived.</p><p>“Yeah, I do. It’s one of my favorites.” She replied. “So, what’s up?” She looked at me.</p><p>“Uh, you two sit down on the couch. We have a lot to talk about.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>reuploaded from another draft-- i had a problem with the docs syncing</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“—And that button lets you open your inventory.” Nanami explained, pointing to a switch on her pink Game Girl. Komaeda pressed it hesitantly.</p><p>“Nanami?” I called from the staircase. She turned her head to face me.</p><p>“Yeah?”</p><p>“Can you come here?”</p><p>She nodded, handing the console to Komaeda. He was too enveloped in the game to notice her walking away.</p><p>She stood in front of me, letting her hair loose.</p><p>“What’s up?” She cocked her head.</p><p>“Uh, so…”</p><p>“Komaeda.”</p><p>“Yeah, I kinda… found him in the woods? Look! He was probably freezing, and he was all alone--!”</p><p>“Well, where are his parents?”</p><p>“I—I don’t know? I think there’s a tiny, tiny chance that he might have escaped a psych ward. Maybe.”</p><p>“Hinata!”</p><p>“I know, I know! He’s just like… really scared. Of going back. And I don’t want to explain this to my mom. So.”</p><p>“You want me to take him.” She folded her arms across her chest. “And why would I do that?”</p><p>“Nanami, please--!” I pouted. “I really need this favor from you!”</p><p>She didn’t look convinced.</p><p>“I’ll buy you the new Animal Crossing game.”</p><p>“…”</p><p>“And pay for your lunch all next week.”</p><p>“…”</p><p>“Okay, all next month?”</p><p>“Fine. It’s a deal.”</p><p>I smiled, heading back over to the couch where Komaeda was lounging.</p><p>“Hinata-kun!” He grinned, shutting off the game. Nanami picked it up.</p><p>I laughed awkwardly.</p><p>“Hey, I had an idea. How about the three of us go down to the park and get something to eat?”</p><p>He nodded.</p><p>“Great. Do you… need any clothes?”</p><p>“I’m wearing clothes.”</p><p>“It’s gonna be cold. And those are pajamas.”</p><p>“Okay, whatever Hinata-kun wants!”</p><p>I pulled him upstairs, letting him pick out a sweater and pair of jeans from my closet.</p><p>“Uh, you need shoes… How about these?”</p><p>It was a pair of my old tennis shoes. They were way too small for me now, but I was sure they would fit someone like Komaeda. He nodded, running into the bathroom. I sat down on my bed, dusting off Monomi’s fur. Or it was Komaeda’s hair. I honestly couldn’t tell the difference.</p><p>“Do I look okay?”</p><p>I looked up to see Komaeda. The shirt and pants were too big on him, but the shoes fit nicely. I nodded.</p><p>“You look fine. Ready to go?”</p><p>~<br/>Nanami wheeled her bike along as we walked back out from the neighborhood and into town. The streets were bustling with students and job-goers, chatter filling the cold air. I looked down to see Komaeda’s hand wrapped in mine.</p><p>“Uh, Komaeda?” He looked up. “Can you… maybe not hold my hand in public?”</p><p>He dropped it immediately.</p><p>“I’m so sorry! I don’t know why I did that! Please forgive me!”</p><p>“It’s fine.”</p><p>Nanami was busy playing her game, so that left Komaeda and I to have a conversation. He was looking at me expectantly, and I felt myself blush.</p><p>“Uh, do you like hot cocoa?” I asked, giving him a crooked smirk.</p><p>“What’s that?”</p><p>“Oh, man. You don’t know what hot cocoa is? It’s like—actually, hold on, I’ll show you.”</p><p>I steered our party into the nearest coffee shop, the three of us stopping at the counter. I pulled a crinkled twenty-dollar bill from my pocket and handed it to the cashier.</p><p>“Three hot cocoa, please.”</p><p>“Whipped cream?”</p><p>“Um, sure.”</p><p>Komaeda stood by my side at the counter, staring at me. I laughed nervously. He grinned.</p><p>“So, uh, Komaeda.” I said. “Do you have any, um, any parents?”</p><p>He shrugged.</p><p>“Maybe.”</p><p>Okay, that was evasive.</p><p>“Right.”</p><p>The barista called my name and I hurried over to grab the drinks. Nanami took hers without looking up from her screen. I handed Komaeda his. He wrapped his slender hands around it, smiling.</p><p>“It’s hot, so be careful.” I warned.</p><p>He took a sip immediately.</p><p>“Thank you, Hinata-kun.”</p><p>~</p><p>The three of us sat down by the lake in the middle of the park. Leaves were falling off the trees as we spoke, a few landing in Komaeda’s hair. He took immediate interest in a family of ducks wading in the water, not bothering with anything else.</p><p>“Hey!” I heard a voice yell from in the trees.</p><p>Junko Enoshima and her twin sister emerged from the forest, running towards us. Enoshima wore a furry pink coat, while Ikusaba only sported a denim jacket. They held their dog on a leash in front of them. The two of them stood above us, Junko’s hands on her hips. Komaeda noticed them, hiding behind me.</p><p>“Aww, it’s my two fave freshmen!” Enoshima gushed. She was a sophomore in high school, a year older than Nanami and I. “And who’s this?”</p><p>Komaeda peeked out from behind me. Ikusaba smiled at him. He smiled back.</p><p>“This is Komaeda, he’s visiting from out of town.” Nanami said, still not looking up from her game.</p><p>“Hey, cutie!”</p><p>Enoshima knelt down to face him, holding out her manicured hand. He didn’t take it, instead grasping at my shirt.</p><p>“Junko, he’s shy…” Ikusaba had a pretty voice, quiet and melodic. She pulled on her sister’s coat sleeve, getting down on her knees. She waved at Komaeda with her gloved hand, smiling sweetly. “Hello. My name is Mukuro Ikusaba.”  </p><p>He waved back to her hesitantly. She giggled. The girls both sat down, Enoshima fixing her eyeliner and Ikusaba petting their dog. It was a mutt with black and white dotted on its face and eyes.</p><p>“What’s his name?” Komaeda asked.</p><p>“So you do speak!” Enoshima grinned.</p><p>Ikusaba patted its head. “His name is Monobear. Junko calls him Kuma-Kuma.”</p><p>“What are you two doing here?” I asked them.</p><p>“I convinced her to take me shopping! Isn’t it crazy that we would meet up here?”</p><p>Nanami nodded absentmindedly.</p><p>“God, you’re really the cutest!” Enoshima took Komaeda’s face in her hands, squeezing his cheeks. “It’s a shame Hinata took you because I would, like, totally be in love right now. But I respect my friends’ relationships, obvs!”</p><p>“Enoshima-san, stop it!” I felt my cheeks go red. “He’s just a friend!”</p><p>“So is he, like, available?” She clicked her tongue.</p><p>“I’m sorry, I don’t understand.” Komaeda’s voice was muffled by the hands squeezing his face.</p><p>“It means I want you to be my boyfriend!”</p><p>“No.” I said, glaring at her. “He’s not interested.”</p><p>She rolled her eyes, letting go of Komaeda’s face. She grabbed Ikusaba’s gloved hand and pulled her away. She waved goodbye to us, and Komaeda waved back. Enoshima tutted.</p><p>“They were nice.” Komaeda observed.</p><p>“No, they weren’t. Stay away from those girls, okay?”</p><p>“Oh, sorry.”</p><p>He went back to staring at the ducks.</p><p>~</p><p>“So, you’re going to stay at Nanami’s house tonight.” I told Komaeda.</p><p>“How come?”</p><p>“Uh, I don’t really want any trouble…”</p><p>“I’m sorry, Hinata-kun. I didn’t realize I was trouble.”</p><p>“You’re not! Please don’t think that, it’s just for safety measures. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”</p><p>“Promise?” He looked up at me.</p><p>“Promise.”</p><p>He gave me one final hug before he and Nanami headed back to her house. She promised to update me every hour on how he was doing.</p><p>I sighed as I opened the door to our house, kicking my shoes off.</p><p>I sat down in my bed, opening my computer. I should probably get started on my homework, but instead I caught myself gazing out the window.</p><p>Were there other kids lost in the forest? Should I have been looking for them? I groaned, snapping my window shut.</p><p>I wanted something interesting to happen, and now here I am. I just want to go home and live a normal life, not any of this.</p><p>Shit.</p><p>I turned on the news and brushed my hair out, staring at my face in the mirror. Green eyes, freckles dotted along the bridge of my nose. Under my eyes was purple from lack of sleep. My lips were chapped from the cold, my face red.</p><p>My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I opened it up. I had three unopened messages from Nanami.</p><p>CHIAKI NANAMI – 7:30 PM<br/>dude<br/>Komaeda is freaking out<br/>i need u</p><p>ME – 7:43 PM<br/>cant u handle him<br/>call sonia idk</p><p>CHIAKI NANAMI – 7:45 PM<br/>ffs hinata<br/>get over here</p><p>~</p><p>I knocked at Nanami’s door, clearing my throat. In reality, I was glad to see her. She was really pretty, and I think I might have developed a bit of a crush. She cracked open the door, pulling me inside. Her living room was scattered with clothes and chip bags. She grabbed my forearm, and I blushed.</p><p>“He’s been asking for you.” She said.</p><p>“I, uh…” I started. “Where is he?”</p><p>Nanami lived alone, which was strange considering we were fourteen. Her parents came in to check on her every once in a while, but she mostly kept away from them. I never bothered to ask about it, since Nanami’s personal life was none of my business. She pulled me into a bathroom, where Komaeda was huddled under the sink. He was curled up into a ball, knees pulled to his face. Nanami let go of me, giving me an encouraging smile. I smiled back.</p><p>“Komaeda?” I said, kneeling down so we were eye-level. He looked up, eyes red from crying. Immediately he wiped his face with his sleeve.</p><p>“Hinata-kun! I’m sorry… you came all this way…” He bit his bottom lip.</p><p>I held his hand.</p><p>“What’s wrong?”</p><p>“Ah, it’s nothing! I’m sorry for worrying you!” He was smiling, but I could tell something was off.</p><p>“It’s okay to tell me…” I said, looking back at Nanami. She nodded silently, leaving the room and shutting the door.</p><p>“I’m scared,” He looked like he was about to start crying again. “They’re going to come after me… and they’ll take you and Nanami, too… It’s not safe to stay around me, I’m too dangerous. I’m a walking liability, and oh, I have this horrible luck! I just want to be somewhere safe but I’m terrified… what if they chipped me? What if they’re tracking me and I don’t even know it—I’m putting you in danger--!”</p><p>“Hey, breathe.” I had never really comforted anyone before, but Komaeda was finally talking like a (somewhat) normal person. “Who’s going to come after you?”</p><p>“All those bad people… Hinata-kun, I have to leave! I have to go far away from here. As long as I’m around, your life is on the line. This is serious!”</p><p>He grabbed my wrists tightly, his eyes pleading.</p><p>“I think,” I stood up, opening Nanami’s medicine cabinet. “You’re having a panic attack.”</p><p>I grabbed an empty plastic cup and filled it with tap water, handing it to him. His hands shook as he sipped from it.</p><p>“So what you need to do is take a few deep breaths and distract yourself.”</p><p>“Talk to me, Hinata-kun…”</p><p>“Alright, let’s talk.” I sighed, thinking of conversation topics. “What do you think of Nanami?”</p><p>“I like her… she’s nice, and pretty…”</p><p>“Yeah, she is, isn’t she? Hey, don’t go stealing her from me, though. I’ve been trying to tell her I like her for a while now, but she won’t take the hint. Do you have any advice?”</p><p>He shook his head, still sipping the water.</p><p>“Enoshima and Ikusaba are pretty scary, huh? Well, not so much Ikusaba. She seems scary at first, but I think she’s just a bit shy. Enoshima, on the other hand, right? Sorry that she tried to make a move on you. She’s just like that.” I took the now-empty cup from him, holding out my hand.</p><p>I pulled him up to his feet, opening the bathroom door. He clung tight to my hand. Nanami was waiting outside the door, phone in hand.</p><p>“Hinata, can you stay over tonight?”</p><p>“I’ll ask my mom…” I wanted to go home, but it was probably best for Komaeda if I stayed. Besides, it might be nice to get some alone time with Nanami…</p><p>Komaeda let go of my hand once he saw Nanami, apologizing under his breath.</p><p>~</p><p>The three of us were sprawled out on Nanami’s bed, Komaeda playing with her Lego set as she sucked on a lollipop. She was playing some dumb FPS game where the goal was to shoot zombies, or something.</p><p>“So say I have a crush on someone...” Nanami said, still focused on her game. I immediately looked up. “How do I tell them?”</p><p>“Ha-ha! Who is it?” I grabbed her hands, pulling them away from her controller. She was bright red.</p><p>“Ugh, this is why I never tell you these things!”</p><p>“Tell me!” I pulled her arms behind her back. She shook her head rapidly.</p><p>“Give me my controller back!”</p><p>“Not until you tell me who!”</p><p>“Hinata!”</p><p>“Is it Souda?”</p><p>“Gross, no way!”</p><p>“Tanaka?”</p><p>“Stop it!”</p><p>“Tell me!”</p><p>“It’s Sonia!”</p><p>I let go of her hands, furrowing my eyebrows. She was joking… right? Nanami was still giggling, her cheeks red.</p><p>“Oh, seriously?” I asked, dumbfounded.</p><p>“Yeah…” She wasn’t smiling anymore, a look of worry replacing her laughter. “Is that… cool?”</p><p>“You’re my best friend. Who cares?”</p><p>She sighed with relief.</p><p>“Oh, thank God, I was actually really nervous for a second there… I’ve been meaning to tell you for a while—”</p><p>“It’s fine.” I smiled. “Now I know how to tease you!”</p><p>She shrieked as I pulled her hands back behind her head, grabbing her cell phone. We bickered back and forth for a bit as Komaeda watched. He had calmed down and seemed content.</p><p>“Hinata-kun.” He whispered as soon as Nanami fell asleep. “Can you talk to me?”</p><p>“Oh, sure… what do you want to talk about?”</p><p>“Tell me a story.”</p><p>“Alright, uh, stop me if you’ve heard this one before. There are two teenagers from rival families, the girl, who’s name is Juliet, is destined to marry a man she doesn’t love. The boy, Romeo, and Juliet meet at a party while he’s undercover, and they fall in love. Their parents don’t approve of their relationship, so Juliet decides to fake her death…”</p><p>I went on explaining the plot of Romeo and Juliet to Komaeda as he rested his head in my lap. Once I was absolutely sure he was asleep, I decided to take a risk. I touched his face with my hand, and immediately pulled away. My stomach was in knots as I looked at my phone to check the time.</p><p>11:30.</p><p>Nanami was asleep on the couch, and I was getting tired… how bad would it be to just rest now? With Komaeda’s head on my lap, sleeping with him…</p><p>That’s what friends do, right?</p><p>I cautiously laid my head on the pillow, trying not to move Komaeda from his obviously comfortable position. He made a noise in his sleep.</p><p>I fell asleep stroking his hair.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Holding hands: I assume Komaeda doesn't understand the concept of personal space well, and is also just very attached to Hinata<br/>Hot Cocoa: Komaeda definitely burned his tongue but didn't want Hinata to know, so he hid it.<br/>Ducks: i love ducks.<br/>Junko Enoshima: i actually like Junko and I feel like she could be really fun as just,, a popular girl.<br/>Mukuro Ikusaba: god i love her sm, she deserved better. behind her 'Ultimate Soldier' title, I think she would be very affectionate.<br/>Monobear: I was just going to call him Monokuma, but I thought Junko nicknaming him "Kuma-Kuma" was too cute to not write.<br/>Soniaki: just gals being pals,,,,</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>this one is really wholesome i hate it</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I woke up to the uncomfortable feeling of someone being completely wrapped around me, like a boa constrictor. My eyes opened to see Komaeda practically glued to me, his arms and legs wrapping around my torso. He was breathing softly against my neck.</p><p>This is way more intimate than it should be.</p><p>His pale blonde eyelashes fluttered open, cloudy green eyes gazing at me. His pink lips parted ever so slightly, blush visible on his cheeks. He looked straight out of a painting.</p><p>I don’t like boys.</p><p>Then why did my stomach feel like it was turning inside out? I was eternally grateful that Nanami was somewhere else for the time being.</p><p>“Hinata-kun…” He looked up at me with half-lidded eyes. “You’re still here…”</p><p>I hoped my face wasn’t too red, because it certainly felt like it.</p><p>“H-hey, Komaeda.”</p><p>He slowly loosened his grip on me, rubbing his eyes.</p><p>“Mm, good morning…” He responded. His left hand was still resting on my stomach, and I noticed my shirt had ridden up while I was asleep. That just made me blush harder, knowing Komaeda was touching my bare skin. He didn’t seem to mind, though.</p><p>Komaeda yawned, pushing himself into an upright position. His hair was messy and disheveled, and I suddenly realized how strange this situation must have looked.</p><p>Nanami walked in the room, yawning. She stopped when she saw the scene in front of her, and I felt my ears burn up. She just raised an eyebrow and handed Komaeda and I a cup of coffee.</p><p>“Sleep well?” She asked, taking a seat in her gaming chair.</p><p>“Oh, yes!” Komaeda smiled. “Hinata-kun makes a lovely pillow!”</p><p>“H-hey!” I covered my mouth, looking away. “Don’t just say things like that…”</p><p>As great as this moment was, I realized quickly that Nanami and I had a problem on our hands. Today was Friday, and we still had school. Nanami seemed to be wondering the same thing.</p><p>“Komaeda, have you ever been to school?” She asked, looking up from her computer.</p><p>He shook his head.</p><p>“Well, Hinata and I have to go there. We can’t really bring you, so we need you to stay here today. You can entertain yourself however you like, just please stay inside the house. We’ll be back in a few hours, and the three of us can do something. Is that alright with you?”</p><p>“If… Hinata-kun wants me to stay here, I will.”</p><p>“Thanks, man. We owe you.” I smiled.</p><p>He immediately smiled back. Nanami left him with some instructions on how to work the stove and the two of us headed out. I was still wearing my clothes from yesterday.</p><p>***</p><p>“Hinata-kun and Nanami-san!” Sonia Nevermind greeted us as we walked into the classroom. Nanami waved to her, setting her backpack down on the desk. I elbowed her.</p><p>Sonia came up to give us both a hug, and I noticed Nanami blushing ever so slightly. Souda tried to join, but was pushed away.</p><p>“Hinata!” He high-fived me. “How’s life, man?”</p><p>“I saw you yesterday.”</p><p>“Don’t be such a downer!” He pouted. “Your hair’s all messed up, and your shirt is unbuttoned—plus you and Nanami came in at the same time! You can tell me if--!”</p><p>My face heated up as I buttoned the top of my shirt and combed out my hair with my hands. Kuzuryuu had hit Souda over the head with his backpack, shutting him up.</p><p>“Oww…”</p><p>One by one, students filled up the classroom. I noticed a few people staring at Nanami and I, which just made me more embarrassed.</p><p>Throughout the whole day, I couldn’t stop worrying about Komaeda. What if something happened while I was gone, and he got hurt? What if he had another episode and I wasn’t there to comfort him?</p><p>The idea of skipping school was looking pretty good right now.</p><p>I sat with our usual group at lunch, Nanami and Sonia talking while Souda pestered me.</p><p>“Hey, man, you’re totally blushing! Who’re you thinking about?” His eyes seemed to sparkle. I swatted him away.</p><p>“No one, I’m just cold.” I mumbled, poking at my sandwich.</p><p>“Yeah, sure you are! You can tell me, bro! I won’t judge.” He giggled. “I bet it’s one of the sophomore girls!”</p><p>“Shut up.”</p><p>“Aw, man…” He pouted. “What’s with you today?”</p><p>“I’m just stressed. Midterms…”</p><p>It was a lame excuse, but Souda was pretty gullible. He nodded, continuing on about something completely mindless as I pretended to listen.</p><p>I slept with someone last night. In the most literal sense, sure, but I’ve never been that close with anyone before. And it wasn’t with Nanami, or even a girl in general. I really didn’t want to keep thinking about it, because I knew that if I did, I would have to face the fact that I liked it.</p><p>A lot.</p><p>And God, I didn’t want to admit that to myself, or anyone for that matter. Because I definitely still had a crush on Nanami, and I did get kind of excited when Souda insinuated that we were a couple. But Nanami didn’t like me in that way, and it almost felt wrong to keep liking her, especially knowing what I know now.</p><p>“Hey, hey.” Nanami poked me, snapping me out of my trance. “We have to get to class.”</p><p>“R-right, sorry…” I mumbled, shoving my things in my bag.</p><p>***</p><p>The rest of the day went by excruciatingly slow as I struggled through my final classes. By the time it was over, I caught myself actually getting excited to see Komaeda again. I pushed that thought out of my head as Nanami lead me outside the school building and back to her house. Someone stopped us on the street, a woman in a long white coat who neither of us had met before.</p><p>“You two in high school?” She asked, lowering her glasses. Ice green eyes bore into mine.</p><p>“Yes, ma’am.” I responded. She wore her red hair in a long ponytail down to her waist.</p><p>“Can you kids do me a favor?” She smiled. “If you see any kids around that you don’t know from school, I want you to tell me.”</p><p>She handed me a business card with a phone number printed on the front. Chisa Yukizome, PhD was written on the back.</p><p>“How come?” Nanami asked the woman, tilting her head.</p><p>“I’m afraid I’ve lost someone very important to me. Just give me a call if you see anything, alright?”</p><p>“Will do, Yukizome-san.” I gave her my best fake smile. She smiled back, waving goodbye as she approached another group of students.</p><p>Once we were out of earshot, Nanami pulled me aside.</p><p>“Do you think she’s looking for Komaeda?” She hissed, gripping my wrist.</p><p>“Probably!” I whispered. “Who else could she be looking for?”</p><p>“I don’t know, that’s why I’m asking!”</p><p>“What are you two whispering about?” A voice came from behind us. I shrieked.</p><p>Mahiru Koizumi, our classmate, was staring at us with her hands on her hips. She wore khaki shorts and a green blouse, her short red hair pulled into pigtails. A messenger bag was draped around her shoulders. Hiyoko Saionji, her best friend, was stood next to her, gripping her arm. She looked like she must have been freezing in just a kimono.</p><p>“Nothing!” I squeaked. I’m pretty sure my voice cracked, because the girls began giggling.</p><p>“We heard you two are getting it on!” Saionji pointed at me and Nanami. “Is it true?”</p><p>Nanami giggled behind her hand.</p><p>“I could ask the same for you two, Saionji-chan. Everyone’s been suspecting it, with how you’re always together.” She sighed. “Well, I’m happy for you.”</p><p>Saionji huffed, sticking her tongue out at Nanami as she pulled the redhead away. Nanami waved goodbye, still laughing.</p><p>“That was… weird.” I noted, probably blushing.</p><p>“Koizumi is part of the school newspaper,” Nanami explained. “This is kind of her thing, so don’t worry too much about it.”</p><p>“Oh.” Was all I said, ashamed to admit I probably really liked the thought of someone mistaking us for a couple.</p><p>I let her drag me by the hand until we reached her house.</p><p>***</p><p>Nanami knocked at the door to the opening notes of the Super Mario theme, and I chuckled. She was really cute, especially when it came to her video games.</p><p>The door handle slowly opened, Komaeda’s fluffy head peeking out. When he saw me, he immediately opened the door all the way. He was grinning like an idiot, which was also really cute.</p><p>No, it wasn’t.</p><p>“Hinata-kun!” He smiled at me.</p><p>“Hey. How was your day?” I smiled back.</p><p>“It was… really good.” He looked down, cheeks flushing. “No one’s ever asked me that before…”</p><p>I didn’t really know what to say to that, so I just awkwardly laughed. Nanami pulled me inside as she talked with Komaeda about how he was doing, and what he had occupied himself with today.</p><p>“Hinata, can’t you just tell your mom that Komaeda is a friend from school?” Nanami looked over at me.</p><p>“Oh, uh, yeah…” I don’t know why I didn’t think of that before.</p><p>“That’s good, then. Maybe we can go to your house today.” She nodded, sliding off her backpack.</p><p>“Um, that’s actually a really smart idea.” I inhaled. “Maybe he can stay over this weekend…”</p><p>“Really?” His head perked up at the idea, and I couldn’t help but smile. He was like a puppy.</p><p>“Do you wanna do it now?” Nanami asked. I nodded.</p><p>“Sure. You coming?” I secretly hoped she would decline the offer.</p><p>“Maybe later, I have some work to do…” She yawned, falling onto the couch. “I’ll see ya.”</p><p>I nodded, waving goodbye as Komaeda followed me out the door. As we walked down the street, I noticed him nervously fidgeting with his jacket drawstrings.</p><p>“Hey, are you okay?” I asked. He jumped.</p><p>“Oh, sorry. I’m thinking.”</p><p>“There’s really no need to keep apologizing…” I said, giving him what I hoped was a friendly smile. He stared at me, smiling back. “So, what are you thinking about?”</p><p>“I’m happy right now.” He announced, shoving his hands in his pockets. “You are very nice to me, and the bad people are gone.”</p><p>I felt a twinge of guilt for not telling Komaeda about the woman we met on the street, but I pushed it aside as a conversation for another time.</p><p>“But I feel sorry, too.” He continued. “I fell asleep on you yesterday, and now you are acting uncomfortable. I am not good at personal space, and I can tell I’ve made you upset. I’m sorry.” He looked down at his feet. I felt my face heat up.</p><p>“No, that’s not true! You didn’t upset me at all. I’ve just had a lot on my mind these last few days…” I rubbed the back of my neck sheepishly.</p><p>He looked back up, relieved.</p><p>“Oh.” He smiled. “Good. I was afraid you were mad at me.”</p><p>I chuckled, shaking my head.</p><p>***</p><p>My mother was mostly just excited at the prospect of me actually making friends, and warmly welcomed Komaeda into our house. I died inside a bit when he called her ‘mom’, but overall it went well. She made us hot cocoa and let us study in my room until dinner.</p><p>“I like Mom.” Komaeda announced, sitting on my bed.</p><p>“Uh, you might just want to call her by her name…” I sighed. “Only I can call her mom… y’know, since she’s my mom…”</p><p>“Oh.”</p><p>“Yeah, it’s not a big deal, but she kinda gave birth to me, so…”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“Oh, man, uh, where do I start? Well, when a guy and a girl love each other very much…” My face went red. “Uh, do you really not know where babies come from?”</p><p>“I’m not stupid.” He looked almost offended. “The stork brings them to people who need them.”</p><p>“But, uh, do you know how the babies… come to be?”</p><p>“…”</p><p>“Right, uh, so… when the man and the woman want to have a baby, they, uh—I can’t do this, sorry. Let me pull up a Wikipedia page…”</p><p>I watched as he skimmed through the article, completely emotionless. Once he finished, he looked at me intently.</p><p>“This is very interesting, Hinata-kun. I did not know about this.”</p><p>“Yeah, usually you learn about this stuff in school, but I guess since you’ve never been…”</p><p>“I would like to go to school someday.”</p><p>“Uh, that’s cool… school is pretty nice. Maybe one day you can come along with me…”</p><p>He was playing with his hair as he stared at me.</p><p>“Do you want to do something today?” I asked. “You’re probably getting bored…”</p><p>“I want to stay with you.”</p><p>“Uh, okay. It’s like, 4:30, though. Do you wanna watch a movie?”</p><p>He nodded. I opened a new tab on my laptop, browsing through the streaming site for something I thought he might enjoy. I decided on the 1968 version of Romeo and Juliet, setting the computer on my lap. Komaeda cuddled up close, but he was careful not to touch me. I almost wished he would before I realized how insane I must have sounded.</p><p>“This is the story you told me last night.” He observed.</p><p>“Since you fell asleep, I assumed you might want to see the rest…” I mumbled.</p><p>“Thank you.” He smiled, looking back at the screen.</p><p>I could barely pay attention to the movie, constantly watching Komaeda as he watched.</p><p>“He reminds me of you, Hinata-kun.” Komaeda noted.</p><p>“Uh, Romeo?” I laughed. “How come?”</p><p>“He’s handsome.”</p><p>That made my heart pound so much I was sure he could hear it. It was just a compliment, so why was I so flustered?</p><p>“Ha-ha, you’re joking, right?”</p><p>“Of course not. You are extremely attractive.”</p><p>How can he just say stuff like that and ignore the romantic undertones? Or was he deliberately trying to flirt? It didn’t matter, anyways, considering I don’t like boys. If he really was trying to make a move, he had an awfully strange way of doing so…</p><p>“Have I upset you?” He asked.</p><p>“N-no, it’s fine…” I blushed. “Thanks…”</p><p>“Mm.” He lowered his head onto my chest, his face pressed against me. He was still focused on the movie, as if he didn’t even notice that he was leaning against me. I took a risk and began to stroke the top of his head with my hand absentmindedly. He made a pleased sound, which did a lot to my head. This was an oddly domestic moment, and I had to admit it was quite enjoyable. If I did like boys (which I don’t), this might even be romantic…</p><p>God, I couldn’t deal with this for much longer. The more I indulged in those thoughts, the more I began to question myself. It was upsetting, to say the least, that I enjoyed the idea of being on a date with Komaeda.</p><p>What the hell happened to me?</p><p>I tried thinking about kissing Nanami, but that just made me feel guilty. I wasn’t particularly attracted to the girl in the movie, so that didn’t do anything either. And I wasn’t going to fantasize about kissing Komaeda while he was right next to me.</p><p>So I just sat there, stroking Komaeda’s soft hair while he watched. And it felt right.</p><p>***</p><p>Once the movie was over, it was 6:00. I still had plenty of time left in the day, but I didn’t feel like calling Nanami over. As weird as it was, I was really enjoying being with Komaeda. As a friend. But that’s just because he was really pretty for a guy.</p><p>“That movie was sad.” Komaeda said, sitting up. I immediately missed the absence of his head on my chest and cursed myself for even thinking so.</p><p>“Yeah, I guess it was. Was it too much?” I hoped I hadn’t upset him.</p><p>“No, I liked it.”</p><p>Okay, that was good. He was still staring at me expectantly.</p><p>“Are you feeling alright?” I asked him.</p><p>“Can you…” His cheeks went red. “Can you please hold me?”</p><p>It was my turn to blush. The way he said it was so innocent, I knew I couldn’t say no. Besides, what harm could it do? I don’t like him in that way.</p><p>“Sure.”</p><p>“Really?” He looked almost shocked that I had said yes to his request. I shrugged, letting him curl up against me. I pulled open my window before I settled back into the bed, letting the breeze blow on us. I didn’t have an ulterior motive, but I certainly wouldn’t mind if he felt the need to get closer because of the cold. I pulled the blanket over us as he looked for a comfortable position.</p><p>It wasn’t as easy as this morning, but he eventually settled with his leg in between my thighs and his arms wrapped around my torso. He looked up at me as if to make sure I was okay, and I realized that he had been wearing the same clothes for two days. He looked so comfortable, though, that I didn’t want to say anything.</p><p>“You can take your jacket off…” I mumbled.</p><p>“No, thank you.”</p><p>“Okay, then. Don’t complain if it gets hot…”</p><p>Friends do stuff like this all the time, right? Even if they’ve only known each other for a few days, I shouldn’t have any qualms about the situation. He was tired, and probably didn’t get much physical affection where he came from. This was completely platonic.</p><p>I put my arm around him, and he made what I assumed was a happy noise, since he was smiling. Whatever it was, it made my stomach do a flip.</p><p>“Hinata-kun…” He sighed, resting his cheek on my chest. “Can we do this all the time?”</p><p>“Uh…” I bit my lip. “I’ll think about it…”</p><p>I wanted to, that’s for sure.</p><p>***</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Chisa Yukizome: I actually really like Chisa and don't mean to make her out as a 'villain' necessarily, but since Junko is already just a normal person I feel like I have few choices left.<br/>Hinata's Mother: She remains nameless for the time being, but I assume she's pretty normal.<br/>Hiyoko Saionji and Mahiru Koizumi: They are in love and work on the yearbook committee together.<br/>Romeo and Juliet: a common theme in my stories, but I do appreciate the story. And it's relatively easy to analyze (and make allusions to.)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When I woke up, I first noticed the absence of Komaeda’s head on me. I then noticed that it was 3:00 AM, and I was completely alone in my room. The window was still open.</p><p>I mumbled something under my breath, getting to my feet. The room was nearly pitch black, and I swore I could hear the faint sound of someone talking in the hallway. I twisted open my doorknob, following the voice. The noise got louder as I got closer to the bathroom, and I finally knocked at the door.</p><p>“Komaeda?” I asked. I heard a gasp from inside the room. “Are you in there?”</p><p>Something dropped on the bathroom floor. It sounded like a shampoo bottle.</p><p>“Is something wrong?”</p><p>“H-help me…” Komaeda whimpered.</p><p>“Shit, are you hurt?” I could feel the dread rising in my stomach. The doorknob rattled as I tried to push open the door. “I’ll be right there, this door gets stuck sometimes…”</p><p>When I finally pushed the door open, Komaeda was balled up in the bathtub, rocking on his heels. I rushed over to his side, getting down on my knees. He didn’t look hurt, at least not physically, but I wanted to make sure. I tapped his shoulder.</p><p>“H-hinata-kun—”</p><p>“Hey, what happened?”</p><p>He put his small hands around my face, almost like he was trying to ground himself. He was cold and shaking. I rested my hands on top of his, trying to warm him up.</p><p>His eyes were red, probably from crying.</p><p>“Are you feeling well?” I pulled his hands gently off my face.</p><p>He scrunched his nose, shutting his eyes. He puffed out his cheeks and began to hit his head with his fist. I grabbed it, shaking my head.</p><p>“What happened?” I asked again. He wrapped his arms around himself, bunching his knees to his chest.</p><p>“Bad…” He whispered. “Bad dream.”</p><p>I sighed, pulling him into a hug. He rested his chin on my shoulder.</p><p>“Everything is okay.” I said. “Do you want to tell me about it?”</p><p>I hadn’t had a nightmare since I was a little kid, but Komaeda’s obviously must have been pretty bad if it shook him up this much.</p><p>“They… were hurting… me…” He took shallow breaths, clinging to me. “It hurts…”</p><p>“You’re safe with me.”</p><p>I had never really been one for comforting people. I’ve always been an only child, and sympathy had never been my strong suit. Still, I felt like I needed to protect Komaeda. He was so vulnerable like this—I couldn’t leave him. Especially not after everything.</p><p>His eyes were shiny as he looked up at me. I gave him my best comforting smile.</p><p>“You hate me…” He said. “I just walked into… into your life… and now…”</p><p>“No. I don’t hate you.”</p><p>“Oh…” He whispered something.</p><p>“Huh?” I asked.</p><p>“Can you hold me again?”</p><p>This time, I wasn’t flushed. I nodded and pulled him into my arms, rubbing his back.</p><p>“Do you want to go back to bed?” I mumbled against his head. “We don’t have to sleep, but I can’t imagine you’re very comfortable here…”</p><p>He squeezed my shoulder, which I took as a yes. I stood up, taking his hand as we walked back into my room. I flicked the light on.</p><p>Komaeda huddled close to me, as if I was protecting him from something. His thin arms were wrapped around my waist, his face pressed into my shoulder. I pulled him over to the bed, letting his arms drop from around me. I settled into the sheets, fluffing my pillow as Komaeda cuddled me like a stuffed animal. It was such an odd position, not to mention one that we had somehow found ourselves in for the third time this week.</p><p>At this point, it was pretty clear in my mind that I wanted this. I wanted to cuddle Komaeda every night like this for the rest of my life. And he definitely wanted it too, right?</p><p>“Hinata-kun?” I heard from below me, my eyes still closed. “Are you still awake?”</p><p>How long had we been like this? I was pretty tired. If it were easier for him, I could pretend to be asleep for Komaeda. I didn’t respond.</p><p>“Hah, I guess not.” He chuckled. “You know, you’re my best friend.”</p><p>Was he talking to me?</p><p>“When we were watching the movie today, I kept thinking about you. You deserve so much better than this, but…” He yawned. “I’m happy. I hope you won’t abandon me quite yet…”</p><p>I wanted to tell him I would never abandon him, but I had to keep up my ‘sleeping’ façade.</p><p>“Hajime-kun…” I almost jumped at the use of my given name. “You smell nice. Like clovers and honey. I love clovers, do you? People say they’re weeds, but I just think they’re misunderstood…”</p><p>Okay. So he thinks I smell good. That’s… sweet, in a way.</p><p>“I know I’m not useful to you, and one day you’ll get tired of me, but… you’re just so kind. I think it might break my heart if you left me.”</p><p>He ran his fingers along my chest.</p><p>“Don’t break my heart, Hajime-kun…”</p><p>I don’t know when I actually fell asleep, but at some time Komaeda’s words started to melt together, and I let myself be enveloped by the comfort of rest.</p><p>***</p><p>“Hinata-kun.”</p><p>Something cold poked my cheek. I groaned.</p><p>“Hinata-kun, wake up.”</p><p>Komaeda was staring down at me, sitting on his hands and knees. His white hair fell over his eyes, obstructing me from the sudden light.</p><p>“Hey, are you okay? You seem pretty out of it.”</p><p>“Uhm…” I grumbled, staring up at his concerned face. “Yeah, I’m okay…”</p><p>“Oh, good. I was starting to get worried.”</p><p>“You were worried about me?” I smirked.</p><p>He actually blushed, for once. Was I flirting with him unintentionally?</p><p>I brought myself up using my arms, now sitting in an upright position. Komaeda’s face was way too close to mine, and I could practically feel him breathing on me.</p><p>“Uh, Komaeda.” I looked away. “Why did you wake me up? You know it’s the weekend.”</p><p>“I know. But…” He puffed out his cheeks again. “I need your help.”</p><p>“What’s up?”</p><p>“I wanna take a bath, and I can’t turn the water on…” He looked embarrassed. “So I need you to show me…”</p><p>I laughed.</p><p>“You know what? Sure.”</p><p>***</p><p>“A-actually, I think this was a bad idea!” Komaeda decided once the bath started running.</p><p>“Are you scared of water? What are you, a cat?” I put my hands on my hips.</p><p>“I am not!” He declared. “It’s just--!”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“It’s kind of scary, okay?”</p><p>I giggled behind my hand.</p><p>“Do you need me to bathe you?” I asked in a mock-tone.</p><p>“W-would you?”</p><p>“No! I was kidding!”</p><p>“Haha! You’re flustered, Hinata-kun!”</p><p>“Am not!”</p><p>“Are too!”</p><p>The moment was… sort of sweet. It was domestic. I could imagine doing this every day with him.</p><p>Stop thinking like that!</p><p>His cheeks were red from laughter.</p><p>“Boys?” My mother called from downstairs. “I have to go to work! Be safe!”</p><p>“Yes, Mrs. Hinata!” Komaeda yelled back. He turned to look at me. “Unless you’re trying to see me naked, you better get out of here!”</p><p>I laughed, rushing out of the doorway and back into my room. My phone was buzzing with texts.</p><p>CHIAKI NANAMI – 7:23 AM<br/>hows komaeda</p><p>ME – 10:00 AM<br/>srry I didn’t see<br/>hes good<br/>chiaki can I ask u something</p><p>CHIAKI NANAMI – 10:01 AM<br/>of course<br/>whats up?</p><p>ME – 10:01 AM<br/>god this is so embarrassing<br/>ugh fine<br/>how do u know if u like someone<br/>romantically</p><p>CHIAKI NANAMI – 10:03 AM<br/>do u wanna kiss her?</p><p>ME – 10:03 AM<br/>i<br/>want to kiss them</p><p>CHIAKI NANAMI – 10:05 AM<br/>them huh<br/>nice</p><p>ME – 10:05 AM<br/>SHUT UP<br/>its not like that</p><p>CHIAKI NANAMI – 10:06 AM<br/>tell him<br/>gtg</p><p>CHIAKI NANAMI is offline.</p><p>ME – 10:07 AM<br/>gdi</p><p>The rest of my unread messages were from Souda, which I didn’t bother to check. I opened a private browsing tab in my search engine, and once no one was looking, started to type.</p><p>-am I gay<br/>-am I gay quiz<br/>-am I gay guys test<br/>-bi<br/>-bisexual<br/>-am I bisexual test<br/>-how to know if you have a crush<br/>-hot guys<br/>-how to clear search history<br/>-how to get your crush to like you<br/>-how to get a boy to like you<br/>-how to get a boy to like you for boys</p><p>You know what? So what if I like Komaeda. I don’t care what people think of me, so why should I care about this? If I want to date him, then that’s fine. I’m totally comfortable with myself—</p><p>“Hinata-kun?”</p><p>Komaeda walked into my room, with just a towel draped around his waist. The first thing I probably should have noted were the very noticeable scars running up his arms, but I didn’t. Instead, my gaze was fixed on his wet hair that draped over his eyes and shoulders. When it was dry, I could have sworn it was white, but now it looked almost blonde. In the sun, his cheeks had far more color. He looked normal.</p><p>“H-hi.” I stammered.</p><p>“Hello! Can I borrow some of your clothes again?”</p><p>“Yeah. Uh-huh.”</p><p>He smiled at me, opening my closet door and gathering an outfit in his hands. I watched him as he closed the closet behind him so he could change.</p><p>ME – 11:09 AM<br/>youre right.<br/>I like him</p><p>KAZUICHI SOUDA – 11:10 AM<br/>dude HUH</p><p>ME – 11:11 AM<br/>oh shit<br/>wrong number<br/>fuck</p><p>YOU deleted a conversation.</p><p>KAZUICHI SOUDA – 11:11 AM<br/>bro<br/>r u gay</p><p>ME – 11:12 AM<br/>ofc not<br/>dumbass<br/>I was talking about something else</p><p>KAZUICHI SOUDA – 11:12 AM<br/>what was it</p><p>ME – 11:14 AM<br/>a video game<br/>who even cares</p><p>YOU are offline.</p><p>Oh shit.</p><p>Okay, so maybe I did care a little bit. Whatever. That didn’t change anything.</p><p>“Hinata-kun?”</p><p>I looked up at Komaeda, who was wearing one of my button-downs and a pair of jeans. He looked really nice.</p><p>“Hey.” I said. “You look good.”</p><p>He smiled, and I couldn’t help myself from smiling back. He was too cute.</p><p>“Do you need something?” I asked, raising my eyebrows.</p><p>“Well~” He bounced on his heels. “I was thinking that maybe we could do something today…”</p><p>“Alright. What do you have in mind?”</p><p>He puffed out his cheeks. “I was thinking that we could go out into the forest and explore together… if that’s okay.”</p><p>I chuckled.</p><p>“Sure.”</p><p>***</p><p>“Hinata-kun, look!”</p><p>I walked over to see Komaeda kneeling in the dirt, observing some mushrooms. His eyes were practically sparkling.</p><p>“What is it?” I asked.</p><p>“Fairy circle.” He whispered, pointing at the mushrooms. They were conveniently arranged in a ring.</p><p>“Cool. What’s it do?”</p><p>“Good luck, as long as you don’t step in it. We can look, though.”</p><p>So we did. I learned a lot of facts about nature from Komaeda.</p><p>He was carrying a basket, which he had filled with mushrooms and plants of all kinds. I had brought sandwiches from the house, in case he wanted to eat something, but he seemed content with just looking around at the moment.</p><p>“Hinata-kun, let’s sit!” He exclaimed, pointing at a patch of grass where the sun shone through the trees. Dandelions were weaved along the area, a stream trickling at the edge. It seemed perfect.</p><p>He put his basket down, taking a seat by the riverbank. I sat down across from him, opening my backpack. Besides the sandwiches, I had also packed two cans of soda and a bag of potato chips.</p><p>“Hungry?” I asked, handing him a sandwich. He nodded.</p><p>“Thank you.” His eyes shone in the sunlight, bright and joyful. His not-quite-blonde bangs draped over his eyes, and I watched as he pushed them away.</p><p>I shrugged, opening my drink. Komaeda watched as I did so, and I got the hint that he couldn’t do it on his own. I took his can from the bag and flicked the tab down, watching as it fizzed over the opening.</p><p>Komaeda was in the process of weaving together a bunch of dandelions by their stems. He looked to be busy, so I didn’t interrupt him. Instead, I took time to stare at his face in the sunshine. The air was cold, but I almost forgot about it as the sun shone down on my skin.</p><p>“For you.” Komaeda said, handing me the dandelions. They were tied together in a circle, forming a crown. “Put it on your head.”</p><p>I did as I was told, draping the crown over my hair. He was looking at me with complete awe.</p><p>“Do I look okay?”</p><p>“Handsome.” He said, cheeks flushing. “Like Romeo.”</p><p>“Thanks,” I blushed.</p><p>We had walked almost two miles from home when Komaeda stopped. I looked over at him, his face filled with some expression I couldn’t quite place.</p><p>“The bad place is over there.” He said, pointing past a thick bunch of trees. About a mile away, I could see a tall concrete wall with barbed wire at the very top. My stomach churned. “That’s where I come from.”</p><p>“Why are we here?” I asked.</p><p>“Just in case.” He responded.</p><p>Hopefully, I wouldn’t ever need to worry about that.</p><p>***</p><p>Nanami had texted me while we were out.</p><p>CHIAKI NANAMI – 2:00 PM<br/>hows everything going<br/>hinata?<br/>u ok?<br/>I have news</p><p>ME – 4:15 PM<br/>sorry didn’t see<br/>yeah were good<br/>went exploring 2day in the forest</p><p>CHIAKI NANAMI – 4:16 PM<br/>guess what<br/>guess</p><p>ME – 4:16 PM<br/>what</p><p>CHIAKI NANAMI – 4:17 PM<br/>sonia and me are hanging out tmrw<br/>at her house</p><p>ME – 4:17 PM<br/>ok</p><p>CHIAKI NANAMI – 4:19 PM<br/>whats up with u<br/>aren’t u happy 4 me</p><p>ME – 4:19 PM<br/>congrats<br/>u’ll make a cute couple</p><p>CHIAKI NANAMI – 4:20 PM<br/>yeah<br/>thanks.</p><p>CHIAKI NANAMI is offline.</p><p>I sighed, setting my phone down. I don’t know why I was being such an ass to Nanami. I guess I might have been jealous. My phone buzzed. It was our class group chat.</p><p>KAZUICHI SOUDA – 4:20 PM<br/>4:20 blaze it</p><p>ME – 4:20 PM<br/>shut up</p><p>FUYUHIKO KUZURYUU, HIYOKO SAIONJI and 5 OTHERS liked: ‘shut up’</p><p>I couldn’t help but laugh at the message. I was lucky to have the friends that I did, and that includes Komaeda. I stared at him while he petted Monomi on my bed.</p><p>Don’t break my heart, Hajime-kun…</p><p>“Komaeda, can we talk?” I asked, shutting off my phone and taking a seat next to him. My heart was nearly beating out of my chest. “There’s something that’s been on my mind.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hinata's broken bathroom door: an allusion to Trigger Happy Havoc, which I just re-played.<br/>Clovers: fun fact- a four-leaf clover is not as lucky as a five-leaf one. those who find a five-leaf clover are destined to have financial success, according to Irish legend.<br/>Fairy Circle: In English and Celtic folklore, fairy rings were caused by fairies or elves dancing in a circle. There is also the belief that they bring good luck and that they are a sign of a fairy village underground.<br/>Dandelions: The floral meaning of the dandelion is that it is a gift to a loved one that will provide happiness and is a promise of total faithfulness.<br/>***<br/>Happy friday!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I apologize for the late update, I made this chapter extra long to hopefully make up for it. Hope you enjoy! As always, kudos and comments are much appreciated.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“There’s something that’s been on my mind.”</p><p>He looked at me, faking a smile. I could tell he was nervous, so I attempted to calm him down.</p><p>“Uh, it’s not anything bad--! I just wanted to talk to you…”</p><p>“Ah, I suppose this has been coming…” He nodded. “You’ve finally gotten bored of me. Well, this was expected.”</p><p>“What? No!” I put a hand on his, squeezing tightly. “This has nothing to do with you! Well, actually, it sort of does…? Look, just listen.”</p><p>I took a deep breath.</p><p>“I’ve been thinking. Since I met you, or maybe even before. You… make me feel some ways. Ways that I’ve never felt about anyone before—and before you say anything, it’s nothing like that! It’s more like… God, this is embarrassing. Uh, okay, here goes…”</p><p>“I think I might have feelings for you.”</p><p>Komaeda cocked his head. What was I thinking, of course he didn’t know what that meant! Great, now I had just embarrassed myself more. In front of Komaeda, who I might have feelings for.</p><p>“I’m sorry, Hinata-kun, I don’t know what that means.”</p><p>“Oh, uh! That’s cool, actually! It, uh, doesn’t matter, never mind. Sorry!” I cleared my throat. Smooth, Hajime. “Um, anyways, do you want to meet some of my friends? We’re having a party tonight.”</p><p>Nice save.</p><p>“If they’re friends with you, they can’t be bad people…” He smiled. “Okay, I’ll meet them. But can we… hold hands on the way there? If that’s okay?”</p><p>“Um, sure. Just… not when there’s people around.”</p><p>Komaeda nodded, squeezing my hand tightly.</p><p>“Is Nanami-chan coming?” He asked excitedly.</p><p>“No. She’s busy with Sonia.”</p><p>“Are you afraid you’ve been replaced, Hinata-kun?”</p><p>“It’s not like that! I just… miss when it was the two of us, and now she has a girlfriend…?”</p><p>“Change can be difficult to adapt to, Hinata-kun, but the important thing is to keep an open mind. I’m still scared that one day you’ll leave me, but I have to ignore it and keep going. I’ve always held onto hope, because hope never ever disappears. Even if it fades, it’s still there. At least, that’s what I tell myself.”</p><p>“No, that’s actually… really insightful? Thanks, Komaeda. You’re a good friend.”</p><p>“Really? Thank you!” He hugged me tightly. “You’re the best friend I’ve ever had.”</p><p>“Yeah. You’re… important to me, too.”</p><p>***</p><p>Souda opened his door, a smile on his face and a can of soda in his hand. He patted me on the back enthusiastically and waved to Komaeda, who was gripping my shirt. I nudged him with my elbow, and he let go, following Souda and I into the living room. A few of our classmates were sprawled out on the sofa and floor.</p><p>“Hinata-kun? Who are they?” He pointed to two girls in the corner of the room.</p><p>“Oh, that’s Ibuki Mioda and Mikan Tsumiki. Do you want to say hello?”</p><p>He nodded, pulling me over to where they were sitting. Mioda waved to me happily.</p><p>“Hinata-chan and guest!! Ibuki doesn’t remember seeing you, and Ibuki <em>never</em> forgets a face!”</p><p>Komaeda clung to me tightly.</p><p>“This is my friend, Nagito Komaeda. He’s from out of town.”</p><p>“Hello, Komaeda-chan! I’m Ibuki Mioda!”</p><p>“M-my name is Mikan Tsumiki…” Tsumiki whispered. “It’s n-nice to meet you…”</p><p>“Hello…” Komaeda knelt down to sit next to her. He looked uneasy. I shrugged it off and sat down next to him.</p><p>“Ah, I’m so happy for Hinata-chan!” Mioda squeezed my waist. “Finally you have a boyfriend!”</p><p>“No, Komaeda is just a friend of mine.” I responded, pushing her away.</p><p>“S-sorry, Hinata-kun doesn’t want to date me. He wants to date Nanami-chan, but she has a girlfriend, and now he feels sad. That’s why I’m here.”</p><p>“Komaeda, what the hell?” I flushed red, standing up. “You can’t just say things like that!”</p><p>“I-I can’t?”</p><p>“No!” I shoved my hands in my pockets.</p><p>“Whatever, I’m getting a drink.” I noticed Komaeda standing up to follow me and I shot him a glare. “By myself, Komaeda.”</p><p>I turned around and walked into the kitchen. I felt a little bad for yelling at him, but he embarrassed me in front of my friends. I shouldn’t have even brought him.</p><p>“Hey, Hinata.” Kuzuryu greeted me. He was sitting at the bar, drinking a bottle of water by himself. I took the seat next to him.</p><p>“Hey.” I replied awkwardly. “Sorry for the long wait, I was with Tsumiki and Mioda.”</p><p>“It’s cool.” He took a sip from his water bottle. “Anyway, I’ve been meaning to talk to you. It’s about Peko.”</p><p>“Oh, are you two finally dating?” I smirked. He elbowed me.</p><p>“Hilarious. In any case, she won’t go out with me. Like, I’ve tried everything.”</p><p>“Christ, you sound like Souda.” I sighed. “Maybe she’s just not into you.”</p><p>“Look, it’s not like that. I know she wants to go out with me, because she said so herself. It’s just… she thinks I ‘should be with someone better than her’? The fuck is that supposed to mean?”</p><p>“I don’t know, man. Girls are weird.”</p><p>“Yeah. They are. How are things with Nanami?”</p><p>“Fine,” I lied. “I don’t think I have a crush on her anymore.”</p><p>That part was true.</p><p>“That’s good, I guess. Since she has a girlfriend and all that.”</p><p>“Shit, she told you?”</p><p>“Nah, Sonia did. I’m not, like, an asshole about that stuff. Date who you want, I guess. Just not Peko.”</p><p>“Yeah, I wasn’t planning on it.”</p><p>“So, that guy you brought with you? Is he your boyfriend, or something?”</p><p>“Would… it be bad if he was?”</p><p>“Man, I just told you I don’t care.”</p><p>“Well, he’s not, so it doesn’t matter. He’s just a friend.”</p><p>“Damn. You like him, though?”</p><p>I decided it couldn’t hurt to talk to him.</p><p>“I really do like him, I think. I tried to tell him, but he just ignored it. I don’t know, it’s complicated.” I admitted. “Boys are weird, too.”</p><p>“<em>People</em> are weird, Hinata. That’s how the world works.”</p><p>“I know.” I sighed, looking back over to where Komaeda was sitting. “I… I’m just kind of confused. About everything.”</p><p>“You’ll figure it out. I know you will.” Kuzuryu smiled. “Anyways, I have to go talk to Peko. See you, okay?”</p><p>“Yeah, see you.” I smiled back, hoping it didn’t look too forced.</p><p>***</p><p><br/>Komaeda wasn’t with Mikan and Ibuki-- apparently, he hadn’t been for a while. After too many apologies to count from Mikan, and a heavily declined offer of a song from Ibuki, I pulled myself away from the crowd and began searching the house for Komaeda.</p><p>I started outside, seeming to be the most logical place to go at a cramped party. A couple more kids were in the yard, playing the world’s messiest game of beer pong (but without the beer). Komaeda wasn’t anywhere outside, so I went back into the living room. I guess I probably should have started upstairs, since there weren’t nearly as many people up there. Komaeda mentioned once that he didn’t like loud noises.</p><p>“Komaeda?” I shouted from the staircase, opening all the bedroom doors once I had gotten to the second floor. “Nagito? We can go home now, if you want!”</p><p>No answer. I opened the door to another guest room, closing it as quickly as possible once I noticed Kuzuryu and Pekoyama, who seemed to be having a serious conversation.</p><p>I opened all the bathroom doors, but to no avail. I decided to shout for him again.</p><p>“I’m not mad at you, I swear!” That might have been a lie, but whatever.</p><p>“Komaeda, where are you?” I stepped into one of the many bedrooms, peeking around the corners and inside the closet.</p><p>I had my hand on the door handle, ready to leave, when I heard the faintest sound.</p><p>“Hinata-kun?”</p><p>A quiet voice whispered from underneath the bed. I squatted down, pulling the sheets off the corner. Komaeda was huddled under the wooden frame, curled into a little ball. I sighed.</p><p>“What are you doing under here?” I asked, trying not to sound condescending.</p><p>“I’m sorry, Hinata-kun, I’m sorry…” He whimpered, wiping the corners of his eyes with his sleeve. “I didn’t know y-you would get mad…”</p><p>“It’s okay…” I sighed. “I’m not angry anymore. I shouldn’t have yelled at you.”</p><p>It was like he didn’t even hear me.</p><p>“I’m s-so sorry, Hinata-kun, please d-don’t send me back… please, let me h-have another chance, I won’t mess up again!”</p><p>“Hey. Listen to me. I’m not sending you anywhere.” I held out my hand, and he hesitantly grabbed it. “As long as I’m here, nothing bad is gonna happen to you.”</p><p>“You promise?” He whispered, voice wavering. I nodded.</p><p>“I promise, Nagito.” I squeezed his hand softly. “We can leave now if it’s too much for you.”</p><p>“I just… w-wanna go home…”</p><p>I pulled him out from under the bed and stood up, his hand still in mine. His eyes were red, and I wondered how long he had been crying under there. He dropped my hand as soon as I opened the door, which only made me feel more guilty. I pulled out my cell phone and texted Souda.</p><p>
  <strong>ME - 8:33 PM<br/></strong>
  <em>hey, me and my friend are leaving early<br/>sorry hes kinda overwhelmed<br/>don’t have too much fun without me</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>KAZUICHI SOUDA - 8:33 PM</strong>
  <br/>
  <em>its all cool bro<br/>tell him I said bye</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>KAZUICHI SOUDA </em>
  </strong>
  <em>is offline.</em>
</p><p>Komaeda and I walked out the front door, waving a goodbye to some of the partygoers. I noticed Tsumiki coming up and whispering something to him, to which he hugged her waist tightly. I can’t say I was jealous, because I wasn’t. Obviously.</p><p>“Do you, like….<em> like</em> Mikan?” I asked him once we were outside the house.</p><p>“Of course, Tsumiki-chan is very kind.” He responded, staring intently at me. “I like her very much.”</p><p>“W-well, yeah, but do you<em> like</em> her? Like, do you want to be her boyfriend and stuff?”</p><p>He thought about that for a moment, then shook his head.</p><p>“I don’t think so. Are you jealous, Hinata-kun?” He smiled. “You’re still my best friend.”</p><p>“I know that! I just…” I trailed off, not really knowing what to say. “Do you want to hold hands?”</p><p>I <em>prayed</em> it didn’t sound bad.</p><p>“In public? I thought--”</p><p>“It’s just kinda cold out. Plus it’s dark, and I don’t want to lose you.”</p><p>“Oh, I understand! No one will see us in the dark! You’re so smart, Hinata-kun.” He praised, squeezing my hand tightly. His palms were freezing, and his hands shook ever so slightly. I kept him right by my side for the entire walk home, watching as he pointed out the stars with his free hand and told me about his favorite constellations. I thought about how I’d like to go stargazing with him sometime, since he seemed to know so much about space.</p><p>“Hey, Komaeda?” I asked. He stopped talking and turned to face me. “I’m really glad I met you.”</p><p>“I’m… glad I met you, too. Truth be told, I’ve never had a friend before you. I hope we can stay friends forever!”</p><p>“I do too. But I can’t keep you in my house forever, you know. We’re gonna have to take you to the police sometime soon.”</p><p>I felt his nails grip me tightly, his hands shaking more.</p><p>“Hey, don’t be scared. I’m not sending you back. I promised, remember? The police are going to help you, okay? They’re going to find your parents and bring you back home.”</p><p>“B-but then how will we see each other?” He asked frantically. “W-what if they don’t want me? What if they s-send me back? What if--?”</p><p>“We’re still going to be friends, I promise.” I squeezed his hand. “If we can’t find them, maybe you can live with us.”</p><p>“With you…?”</p><p>“Yeah, does that sound good?” I smiled. “Me and Mom. Oh, and Miss Monomi.”</p><p>“I… I would like that.”</p><p>I was just thankful I had calmed him down.</p><p>***</p><p>Komaeda slipped on a kimono from my mother’s pile of hand-me-downs. The sleeves were far too long on him, and because he was so lanky, the actual garment only really went down to his knees.</p><p>“Hajime, sweetheart, is Komaeda staying over again tonight?” My mother pulled me to the side while Komaeda watched cartoons.</p><p>“Uh, yeah, if that’s okay…” I prayed she wouldn’t pry any more.</p><p>“Of course. Are his parents out of town this week?”</p><p>“Yeah, they will be for, like, a month.” I lied. Sort of. “So he’s staying with a couple of friends for now.”</p><p>“Oh, poor boy, does he have a cell phone?”</p><p>“Um, I don’t think so… his parents don’t really want him to have electronics.”</p><p>“Are they… mistreating him, Hajime?” She rubbed my hand.</p><p>“I really don’t know. I think… maybe?” I looked up at her. “I know he’s not your kid to look after, but I just want him to be safe.”</p><p>“Oh, honey, I know. You have a good heart.” She hugged me tightly. “Komaeda is really lucky to have you as a friend.”</p><p>“Can we order pizza?” I shifted the subject.</p><p>“Sure. You two go upstairs, though, I have a call to take care of.”</p><p>I nodded and left to go get Komaeda, who was eating sugared strawberries and watching some kids show. I sat down on the couch next to him.</p><p>“Hey, Komaeda? My mom says we have to go upstairs now.” I told him.</p><p>“Oh.” He responded, nibbling at another strawberry. “Can I bring the strawberries?”</p><p>“Yeah, sure.”</p><p>He grabbed my wrist as we walked up the staircase and into the hallway. I pushed open my room door and let him sit on my bed.</p><p>“Hinata-kun?” He asked.</p><p>“Yeah?”</p><p>“Can we watch a movie?”</p><p>I nodded and opened my laptop to our streaming service and clicked on the “Movies” tab. I scrolled through for a bit until Komaeda pointed at the screen.</p><p>“That one.”</p><p>I clicked on it. It was an animated romance movie. I’ve never really been one for the romance genre, but if it interested Komaeda, I guess I could sit through it. I placed the laptop on the edge of the bed and sat down on my stomach to see the screen better. Komaeda did the same, making room for his bowl of sugared strawberries. I switched off the overhead light.</p><p>I watched as Komaeda paid as much attention as he could to the movie, furrowing his eyebrows when there was a conflict and smiling when the main characters flirted. He giggled when the female lead fell onto her love interest clumsily. I got the feeling that Komaeda didn’t see a lot of movies where he was from. Monomi had hopped up onto the bed at some point, Komaeda now rubbing between her ears and feeding her pieces of strawberry. She purred softly.</p><p>“Hinata-kun?” He whispered, voice low as not to disturb Monomi’s sleep.</p><p>“Oh, huh?”</p><p>“I’m scared.”</p><p>“Uh, why? Is this movie scary?”</p><p>“N-no, I’m just scared.” He kissed Monomi’s forehead, his face only lightly illuminated by the computer screen. “Sorry…”</p><p>“Don’t be sorry. I told you I’m not sending you back, right?”</p><p>“I know, I just…” He let his head rest on the cat’s stomach. “I don’t want to find my parents, I want to stay with you…”</p><p>“We’ll still see each other, Komaeda. But don’t you want to get to know your parents? They must miss you so much.”</p><p>“I-- Back in the facility, they always said to me that my parents didn’t want me. That’s why I was there. A-and my mom is dead. I was there when it happened. We were driving on the highway and we got hit by a car.”</p><p>“I’m sorry, I had no idea.”</p><p>“It’s okay. But after my mom died, I didn’t have anywhere to go so I went into foster care. They couldn’t get in touch with my dad, until one day when he called my foster parents. He said that he had been looking for me, and he wanted me back home. So I went with him, and I ended up in the bad place. I don’t know if he was actually my dad, but I never saw him again.”</p><p>“Komaeda…” We had stopped watching the movie a while ago. He gave me a nervous smile.</p><p>“When I lived in the bad place, I shared a room with a boy at first. But then they took me away from him to do tests, and I was all alone. It was really lonely, and I wasn’t allowed to leave. I was hungry all the time, and they only fed me every other day. But if I was bad, I didn’t get any food at all. On special days, I got to solve puzzles and draw with crayons. Sometimes the other children were there, but they didn’t like me because I got special treatment.”</p><p>His hands shook a little. I could tell it was hard to talk about this.</p><p>“Komaeda, it’s okay. You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.”</p><p>“N-no, I want to. I trust you.” He took a shaky breath. “On bad days, they would take me and do needles. It hurt a lot, and I always cried, so they duct-taped my mouth.”</p><p>I squeezed his hand. His eyelashes were wet.</p><p>“They took my blood a lot. My body was so weak that I just passed out every time. When I woke up, I was always back in my room. I only got to leave if they were going to bathe me, but I had to behave then, too. Once I bit the man trying to clean me, and I didn’t get food for a week.”</p><p>“How did you get out?”</p><p>“The boy who I first shared a room with killed one of the nurses. He told me to run while everyone else was busy. I asked him why he didn’t go, but he just ignored me. There was blood all over his body. He gave me a keycard, probably from the dead nurse. I didn’t look at it. I just ran. I went down the elevator, and there was a doctor standing outside when the doors opened. I must have had blood on me too, because he started screaming when he saw me. I ran past him and out the front door. I hadn’t been outside in years.”</p><p>He took another breath and squeezed my hand harder.</p><p>“I couldn’t climb the wall because of the barbed wire on the top, so I hid in the trunk of someone’s car. I must have been in there for hours until they started driving. We stopped after about an hour, and I heard the people saying they were going to the bathroom. That’s when I got out of the trunk and ran into the woods. I think I left the keycard in there. And then I made my house and slept there for a few days. I was hungry, so I went to go look for food. And that’s where I found you.”</p><p>“And now we’re here.” I mumbled. He nodded. “I’m so sorry, Komaeda, that must have been really scary.”</p><p>“It’s okay.” He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. “Because you’re going to protect me, right?”</p><p>“Yeah.” I sat up, pulling him into a hug. “I promise.”</p><p>
  <em>I promise.</em>
</p><p>***</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Strawberries: if you put a tiny bit of sugar and water on some sour strawberries, the juice comes out. I've been doing it since I was a kid.<br/>Mikan: doctors bring bad memories.<br/>Ex-roommate: is he important? who knows.<br/>Fuyuhiko: Gives great advice, sometimes. it really depends.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>while writing this chapter I realized it was twice as long as it was supposed to be, so i split it into two,, sorry for the wait, and if you want, you can check out the pinterest board i made for this story: https://www.pinterest.com/boiledfeetbeta/hope-is-a-dangerous-thing/</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>I promised Komaeda that I would look out for him. I can’t break that promise now, especially not with what he just told me. I rested my chin on his head, his arms wrapped tightly around my waist as he snuggled into my chest.</p><p>A knock at my door. My mother was standing in the hallway, staring as Komaeda and I hugged. I let go of him and quickly hopped off my bed.</p><p>“O-oh, yeah? I responded, standing up. “What’s up?”</p><p>“Pizza’s here, honey.” She responded, raising her eyebrows.</p><p>Komaeda was still laying on the bed, positioned as if I had never let go of him. He scurried back into an upright position, looking nervous. My mother smiled at him.</p><p>“Are you hungry too, Komaeda?” She asked, walking over to my bed. He nodded as she took a seat on the mattress. “Hajime, would you mind getting you and your friend some food from downstairs? There’s lemonade, too.”</p><p>“Uh, sure…” I mumbled, eyeing her.</p><p>“Thank you. I’d like to talk with him for a little bit, if you don’t mind.”</p><p>I did mind, but I knew she wasn’t going to back down, so I left the door open and headed downstairs to the kitchen.</p><p>I poured two glasses of lemonade and got Komaeda and I both two slices of pizza.</p><p>
  <em>What if she heard what we were talking about, and now she’s trying to send Komaeda back? </em>
</p><p>
  <em>What if she’s calling CPS, or the school?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>What if--</em>
</p><p>I didn’t realize I was running up the stairs until I reached my room.</p><p>Komaeda and my mother were hugging on the bed, her stroking his hair and singing him a lullaby under her breath. His arms were wrapped around her shoulders and waist as she rubbed his back with her free hand.</p><p>Was I seriously jealous of my <em>mom?</em></p><p>Komaeda looked really peaceful. I let my worries drop away as I flicked the light on and sat on my desk chair. My mother smiled at me. I recognized the song she was singing. It was the same one she had sang to me when I was a kid.</p><p>Komaeda stirred a bit.</p><p>“Komaeda, darling?” My mother shook his arm a bit. “Hajime is back.”</p><p>“Hinata-kun…?” He yawned. I waved awkwardly. “O-oh, sorry. I guess I drifted off.”</p><p>“It's alright. You must be tired.”</p><p>“I brought food.” I blurted out.</p><p>My mother ruffled my and Komaeda’s hair before standing up.</p><p>“Can I count on you two to go to bed before midnight?” She asked. I nodded.</p><p>“Yes, mom.”</p><p>Komaeda waved to her before she closed the door. She gave a little wave back and left us alone. I was glad for her to be gone, since it would be pretty awkward to have her here still.</p><p>“Your mom is really kind…” He mumbled, sipping his lemonade.</p><p>“I’m sure your mom was nice, too.” I tried to reassure him, but he shook his head.</p><p>“I don’t really remember a lot about her, but I know that she used to lock me in the cupboard when she was mad. And that she gave me a lot of medicine that I didn’t need, which made me throw up.” He looked at me guiltily. “Sorry, I made it about me again…”</p><p>“It’s okay, really.” I smiled as best as I could. “I just feel really bad that you had to deal with that.”</p><p>“I know it’s going to be okay, though. Because even though I had to go through all this, I got to meet you. And that’s the best thing that ever happened to me. You’re the first friend I’ve ever had, Hinata-kun.”</p><p>“Do you… really think that meeting me was worth all the trauma you experienced?”</p><p>“Of course.” He said it without any hesitation at all. “You’ve made me happier than I ever thought I could be.”</p><p>“Oh, uh, thanks. And I’m glad that you’re happy.”</p><p>“Mhm…” He giggled, resting his head in my lap. I don’t know if he meant to do it, or was just too tired to care. I’m not so sure he knew either, but I put my plate on the desk and settled back. The light was still on, but I didn’t care enough to turn it off.</p><p>“Hinata-kun… can you sing me a song…?” His voice was quiet. I nodded.</p><p>“O-oh, sure. Um, I’m not a very good singer, though, so…” I cleared my throat. “I’ll just… do this.”</p><p>I began humming a lullaby under my breath. His eyes fluttered shut as I muttered the lyrics as low as I could.</p><p>
  <em>“Daisy, daisy, give me your answer, do…”</em>
</p><p>He made a pleased sound as I brushed his bangs out of his eyes.</p><p>
  <em>“I’m half crazy, all for the love of you… <br/>It won’t be a stylish marriage, I can’t afford a carriage…<br/>But you’ll look sweet upon the seat of a bicycle built for two…”</em>
</p><p>***</p><p>I was getting used to waking up with Komaeda resting on my chest, so it was needless to say I was surprised when I didn’t feel the familiar weight of his head on top of me.</p><p>It wasn’t too worrying, though, because it was more than likely that he just decided to get up early. I didn’t pay too much attention to it, considering I was still tired. Though I won’t deny I did miss the feeling just a bit.</p><p>I still didn’t pay any mind, even when I saw that my school bag was sprawled out on the floor, various papers and pencils all over the room. It looked like Monomi had chewed on a few old worksheets. I groaned, sitting up in my bed.</p><p>
  <em>I was going to kill that cat.</em>
</p><p>I wasn’t worried when I got up to shower and Komaeda wasn’t in the bathroom. I stared at myself in the foggy mirror, wiping the steam off the glass and glaring at my own reflection. I looked like a mess-- from the lack of sleep or whole ‘Komaeda’ crisis, I didn’t know.</p><p>I still didn’t worry all that much when I went downstairs for breakfast and my mother was flipping pancakes. That was a normal Sunday thing, I supposed. Komaeda was probably playing outside or watching cartoons. I mumbled a ‘good morning’ to her as I headed out the back door.</p><p>The anxiety probably kicked in when Komaeda wasn’t in the yard or in front of the TV. There were very few places I could imagine he would be, and I already checked all of them. I walked back inside the house.</p><p>“Mom, do you know where Komaeda is?” I shouted from the dining room.</p><p>“No, I haven’t seen him today. Can you please keep your voice down, though? I just woke up.”</p><p>I huffed out a ‘sorry’ before heading back up the stairs. It… really wasn’t like him to go anywhere alone. Maybe Nanami had swung by early this morning.</p><p>Or maybe someone had come to take him when I was asleep. I rushed up into my room, checking the bed for any sign of resistance from Komaeda. Everything was the same as before, save for the scattered school supplies on the floor. I picked them up and shoved them into my backpack, noticing a small card upside-down on the ground. I picked it up and turned it over, reading the text printed on it.</p><p><em>Chisa Yukizome, PhD</em><br/>Business Inquiries: XXX-XXX-XXXX<br/>Personal Endeavors: XX-XXX (Instant Message)</p><p>Oh, shit. I completely forgot about that lady.</p><p>
  <em>“I’m afraid I’ve lost someone very important to me. Just give me a call if you see anything, alright?”</em>
</p><p>She was wearing a lab coat, right? Could she have been one of the doctors from whatever “facility” Komaeda came from? And if he found <em>her</em> business card in <em>my</em> backpack…</p><p>“Fuck…”</p><p>Komaeda thought I was going to send him back. Now I needed to find him. The only problem? I have no clue where he went.</p><p>***</p><p>The forest was a lot more threatening when you know that there’s some lost kid running around in there. I noticed the mushroom circle from when we went on a picnic together had shriveled up, which didn’t make any sense, considering mushrooms are already dead. At least, that’s what I had heard. Now, though, they were black and rotting. I grimaced.</p><p>“Komaeda?” I shouted. There was no response.</p><p>I made my way to the spot where we had our picnic only yesterday. It felt like it was ages ago, one of Komaeda’s dandelion crowns already beginning to wilt on the ground. I remembered where he had taken me, out by the concrete wall.</p><p>
  <em>“The bad place is over there.” He said, pointing past a thick bunch of trees. About a mile away, I could see a tall concrete wall with barbed wire at the very top. My stomach churned. “That’s where I come from.”</em>
</p><p>Standing in front of the wall was vastly different from just staring at it. My heart sank, and I prayed Komaeda wasn’t back there.</p><p>I climbed quickly up an oak tree by the wall, staring out over the barbed wire. I could just make out a rectangular building, around five or six stories tall. Around the facility were a plethora of different cars, including a few ambulances and food trucks. There were no windows on any of the stories besides the first. I watched as a few adults dressed in white conversed outside the doors. It was still pretty far away, so I couldn’t make out their actual features, but I could confidently assume those people were the doctors that Komaeda talked about.</p><p>“If you’re real, God, please keep him safe…” I whispered under my breath, my eyes stinging with the beginnings of tears. I wiped them away and climbed down from the branches where I was perched. I could keep looking around the forest for him-- there’s no guarantee he’s even around the facility.</p><p>I guess I could look where I first found him, by the creek. Maybe he was there.</p><p>
  <em>Maybe he isn’t even in the forest at all. Maybe he’s under my bed, playing a trick on me. Maybe Mom’s in on it. </em>
</p><p>I knew none of that was true, but it eased my nerves just a bit to imagine. I heard the familiar trickle of the creek and rushed over.</p><p>“Komaeda!” I yelled, tripping over my shoelaces. I imagined his face, relieved to see me, sitting on a log.</p><p>But no one was there.</p><p>“Komaeda-- Nagito, please…” I heard my voice crack. “Please be safe…”</p><p>I covered my face with my hands and sat on the forest floor. There was no sound but the running water and the faint sound of someone singing.</p><p>Someone singing…?</p><p>I stood up as quickly as I could, following the distant noise. It got stronger the father into the woods I went.</p><p>I can’t believe I didn’t think of it sooner. Komaeda’s ‘house’ was right by the creek, and I completely walked by it.</p><p>The singing was loud enough for me to make out now, coming from only a few feet away from where I stood. I heard sniffling coming from the same direction.</p><p>
  <em>“I’m half crazy, all for the love of you…”</em>
</p><p>Quiet sobs wavered in the air. Sure enough, Komaeda was huddled underneath his wooden hut, cradling the dusty green jacket stored there. He must have been freezing.</p><p>“Nagito?” I peeked out from behind the tree.</p><p>As soon as he saw me, Komaeda began to cry and huddled into the corner. He was shaking.</p><p>“Nagito, are you okay?” I inched closer to him.</p><p>“G-get away! Leave m-me alone!” He sobbed, trembling hands shielding his face.</p><p>I knelt down a few feet away from him.</p><p>“Listen to me, please.”</p><p>“Y-you lied to me!” His voice cracked on nearly every vowel, his knuckles white from gripping the green coat. “You promised you wouldn’t let them hurt me!”</p><p>“I know, please just listen to what I have to say…”</p><p>“I hate y-you! You n-never wanted to be my friend! You tricked me and I h-hate you!”</p><p>“Komaeda…”</p><p>“Why, Hinata-kun? I trusted you! You s-said you would protect me!”</p><p>“Komaeda.”</p><p>“You’re going to s-send me back with <em>her</em>! She’s gonna strap me down, and--!”</p><p>“Nagito!”</p><p>He choked out a sob, flinching as if he was waiting for me to hit him. His hands were raised over his head. He must have been freezing in nothing but a kimono.</p><p>“You lied to me…” He whispered, hiccupping. I could see his hands shaking.</p><p>“I’m sorry for not telling you about that lady. My aim was only to keep you safe, I promise. I have no intention to send you anywhere.”</p><p>“Why should I believe you?” Komaeda sobbed, wiping his eyes with the back of his hands.</p><p>“Because we’re friends, remember? We’re going to be friends forever, no matter what.” I inched a bit closer to him again. He visibly flinched.</p><p>“Hinata-kun…” He started crying again. I sighed.</p><p>“I’m sorry, Nagito, I messed up. I should have told you about that woman. The truth is, I was scared. I still am. But I <em>swear,</em> on everything I have, that I’ll never let anyone take you away from me.”</p><p>“How d-do I know you’re telling the truth?”</p><p>“You don’t, really. I just need you to trust me.”</p><p>I held my hand out. He didn’t grab it.</p><p>“I d-don’t know how to trust anyone.”</p><p>“Isn’t this a good place to start, then?”</p><p>“I don’t want to go back, Hinata-kun.”</p><p>“I know.”</p><p>“C-can you promise that I won’t be sent back?”</p><p>“I promise.”</p><p>And finally, <em>finally</em> he took my hand in his own. I could feel his cold fingers tremble against me as I pulled him out from under the hut.</p><p>“Hinata-kun…”</p><p>He pulled me into a tight hug, his teary eyes wetting the front of my shirt. His whole body was shaking as he sobbed into my shoulders, his freezing hands gripping my waist. All I could do was brush his hair with my fingers and rock him against my chest.</p><p>“It’s okay, everything is going to be okay.”</p><p>Another fractured sob tore its way out of his throat. My heart nearly broke at the noise.</p><p>I did the only thing that felt right and pressed my forehead against his own. He breathed in shakily, his cheeks reddening. I averted his eyes and tucked a strand of hair out of his face.</p><p>“Y-you must be cold. We should go home now…” I pulled away.</p><p>He nodded and squeezed my hand. I pulled him slowly back towards the direction of the house.</p><p>“I’m sorry, Hinata-kun…” He whispered, tears rolling down his cheeks. “I’m sorry…”</p><p>“I know.” I pulled him closer to me.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Daisy Bell: my mother used to sing me this song when I was young. I still hum it when I can't sleep.<br/>Facility: you'll see the inside of the facility eventually, as well as some of the patients. <br/>Doctors: among them are Seiko Kemuri and Ruruka Ando, which is all we need to know for now.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Once we got back to the house, Komaeda practically passed out in my bed. His hands were so cold, I was shocked he could even move them. How long had he been out there all alone? If I hadn’t found him, would he have frozen to death? I didn’t want to think about it.</p><p>For now, he seemed to be doing alright. His cheeks were bright red, despite being nearly freezing in temperature. I covered him in my mother’s duvet cover and brought up a heating pad from downstairs.</p><p>“Komaeda…” I sighed, sitting down next to his sleeping form. His lips were slightly parted, his breathing just barely audible over the buzz of the heater. I turned over on my side so I could face him, cupping his cheek in my hand.</p><p>“I’m so sorry, Komaeda.” I whispered to him, petting his cheek. His lips seemed to have been turning purple when I found him. Now they were back to their usual soft pink, and the reddening of his face seemed to die down as well.</p><p>Without really thinking, I pulled Komaeda into a soft embrace, the cold of his cheek pressed against the warmth of mine. I rested a hand on the side of his face that wasn’t touching mine and sighed.</p><p>“Hajime?”</p><p>I bolted up from my position to see my mother in the doorway, a tray of cookies in hand. She gave me a knowing smile.</p><p>“You’re supposed to knock, you know.” I mumbled, cheeks feeling hot.</p><p>“I did knock. You were too busy cuddling to hear me, I suppose.”</p><p>“Mom!” I shouted.</p><p>Komaeda stirred.</p><p>“We weren’t cuddling…” I lowered my voice, careful not to wake Komaeda.</p><p>“Alright. You know I love you no matter what, right?” She smiled, handing me a single cookie.</p><p>“Mom…” I groaned, taking the pastry into my hand.</p><p>“I’ll leave you two alone now.” She chuckled, ruffling my hair. “Keep the door open.”</p><p>“Mom!” I hissed, getting up to push her out the door. She giggled at that.</p><p>“I’m only kidding, Hajime. You can close the door, just be safe--"</p><p>I slammed the door in her face, folding my hands across my chest. One of the heart-shaped cookies was bunched in my fist, slightly crumbled. I huffed, sitting back down on the bed. I didn’t lie next to Komaeda, in fear of my mother walking in on us again, instead settling my hand on his hip. He made a pleased noise.</p><p>“You look so peaceful.” I smiled, petting his hair. “I’m sorry for scaring you. I promise it won’t happen again.”</p><p>I mean that.</p><p>***</p><p>“Hinata-kun?” I heard a whisper from Komaeda’s sleeping body and paused the video I was watching on my laptop. It was only around four in the afternoon, but Komaeda had been sleeping for a long time.</p><p>“Good morning.” I said, looking over at him as he sat up slowly. He yawned and rubbed his eyes.</p><p>“Mm, good morning…” He said back, blinking. “What day is it…?”</p><p>“It’s Sunday.” I responded, closing my laptop completely. “You were only asleep a few hours.”</p><p>“Oh, okay…” He yawned again. “Can we see Nanami-chan today?”</p><p>“Not today, she’s busy.”</p><p>“Are you mad at her?”</p><p>“No.”</p><p>“Is she mad at you…?”</p><p>“I don’t know. It doesn’t matter.” I attempted to make a joke. “Would you rather hang out with her than me?”</p><p>“No!” He shouted, grabbing my arm. “I want to be with you!”</p><p>I blushed at that. I know what he meant, but the way he worded it almost sounded like…</p><p>“I know, I’m just kidding.” I tried to calm him down a little. He stared at the bed, averting my eyes. “Is there something going on?”</p><p>“No…” He whispered, fiddling with his hands.</p><p>“Yes, there is.” I sighed, craning my neck to look in his eyes. “You can tell me anything, Komaeda.”</p><p>“I’m feeling sick…” He told me, curling into a little ball.</p><p>He rested his head in my lap.</p><p>“I feel all yucky…” He grimaced, furrowing his eyebrows. “Like I’m gonna throw up.”</p><p>“Do you want to go into the bathroom?” I asked. He nodded slightly, so I helped him up from off the bed and tried to walk him over to the bathroom. Apparently that was too hard for him to do, so I ended up just carrying him straight bridal-style out of my room and into the hallway.</p><p>He kneeled on the tile floor and rested his hands on the side of the toilet bowl. I took one of my mom’s hair ties and bunched his hair into a tiny ponytail. He gagged and vomited into the toilet, which made me a little sick, but I tried not to show it for him.</p><p>“Hinata-kun…?”</p><p>“Yeah?”</p><p>“Can you hold me?”</p><p>“Sure.”</p><p>I put my arms around his shoulders and knelt down to rub his back. He sighed and threw up again.</p><p>“I’m sorry…” He whispered. I shook my head.</p><p>“Nothing to be sorry about. Everyone gets sick.” I sighed, petting his hair. “Do you want me to get you some medicine for your stomach?”</p><p>“No!” He shouted, lifting his head away from the toilet bowl and pushing my hands off him. His hands were shaking. “I don’t want to do needles…!”</p><p>“Hey, no needles.” I attempted to calm him down by lowering my voice. “Just a chewy tablet.”</p><p>“…Will it hurt?”</p><p>“Not at all.”</p><p>He sniffled and let me get closer to him. I grabbed his hand to steady it.</p><p>“Do you want me to go get it?”</p><p>“Okay…” He let go of my hand cautiously and went back to kneeling in front of the toilet bowl.</p><p>I went down the stairs to the kitchen, where my mom keeps the medicine. I grabbed the bottle of Tums in my hand and shook it. Monomi was on the counter, being a nuisance. I sighed and picked her up under my arm.</p><p>“Dumb cat…” I mumbled, climbing back up the stairs with her in my arms. She mewed.</p><p>Once I was back in the bathroom, I let Monomi out of my grasp. She immediately came up to Komaeda and rubbed against his thigh. I heard him sniffle.</p><p>“H-hey, are you okay?” I knelt down next to him. His head was in his hands, so I couldn’t read his expression. “What’s wrong?”</p><p>He looked up at me, his face bright red and sweating. His eyes were glossed over, a permanent expression of worry stuck on his face as his hands shook slightly.</p><p>“Everything…” He moans and his head falls onto my shoulder. His skin is burning up, a stark contrast to how it was a few hours ago. Monomi purrs and snuggles against him. “Sorry, Miss Monomi…”</p><p>“Do you know what happened?”</p><p>“No… I just started feeling worse when you left…” I uncapped the Tums and handed one to him. He popped it in his mouth and chewed it before picking the cat up in his arms.</p><p>“You should rest.” I say matter-of-factly. “I’ll get my mom to take your temperature.”</p><p>“What if I throw up in your bed…?”</p><p>“Oh, uh, I was thinking you could sleep on the couch. In case it’s contagious, or something.”</p><p>He looked a bit disappointed, but agreed.</p><p>“Okay… can you carry me again?”</p><p>I sighed, picking him up as if he were the cat. She followed us closely as I carried him down the stairs and into the living room. I draped his body across the sofa and covered him with a blanket. He shifted uncomfortably.</p><p>“I’m gonna get my mom, okay?”</p><p>He nodded slightly under the blanket.</p><p>***</p><p>“Mom?”</p><p>She was reading a magazine in her bed when I came in. She looked mildly disturbed, but I had more important things to worry about.</p><p>“What’s wrong?”</p><p>“Komaeda is sick.” I told her. “I think he has the flu.”</p><p>She closed her book, standing up and walking towards me.</p><p>“Where is he?”</p><p>“On the couch,” I replied immediately. “He’s on the couch now.”</p><p>“Alright.”</p><p>She gestured for me to follow her out of the hallway and into the living room, where Komaeda was resting peacefully. She put a manicured hand to his forehead.</p><p>“He doesn’t have a fever, but he’s clammy. Did you give him medicine?”</p><p>“Uh, I gave him Tums after he threw up…”</p><p>“Good. Is he awake now?”</p><p>I poked Komaeda’s shoulder, to which he opened his eyes slightly. He sat up when he saw my mother.</p><p>“Mom…?” He mumbled, rubbing his eyes.</p><p>I cringed.</p><p>“Yes, darling?” She responded, not minding the title.</p><p>“I’m sick…”</p><p>“I know, dear. What hurts?”</p><p>“My stomach… and my head…”</p><p>She brushed his hair out of his eyes, giving him a gentle smile. He did his best to smile back.</p><p>“I’m going to get you an ice pack and some water. Are you feeling dizzy, by any chance?”</p><p>He nodded.</p><p>“Do your parents usually give you medicine daily?”</p><p>He nodded again, staring at me worriedly. I reached out my hand to his and squeezed it reassuringly.</p><p>“Do you know what it is they give you?”</p><p>“Needles.” He said, grasping my hand tightly. “I don’t want needles, please…”</p><p>“I won’t. I don’t have any needles, anyways.” She turned to me. “It seems like Komaeda might be having withdrawal symptoms. It happens when your body is used to taking something every day and then you stop suddenly. The balance gets thrown off, and you can feel sick.”</p><p>Jesus, how could I completely forget about Komaeda being a mental patient? Obviously he needed his meds.</p><p>“Is he going to be okay?”</p><p>“He’ll be quite alright, I can promise you that. But he’s going to want to take a few days off school to rest. Do you have his parents’ phone numbers?”</p><p>“N-no. Sorry.”</p><p>“That’s fine, I’ll just call the school and let them know--”</p><p>“You can’t do that!” I shouted, scaring Komaeda a bit. “S-sorry, but, uh, that won’t work. I’ll have to, um, tell the principal myself.”</p><p>She raised an eyebrow.</p><p>“Well, can you do that tomorrow morning? Tell the school to call me if they need anything, and that Komaeda is staying with us for a bit.”</p><p>“Will he be home alone?”</p><p>“I can go to work once you come back from school, or I can work from home.”</p><p>I sighed.</p><p>“O-okay.”</p><p>My mother ruffled Komaeda’s hair before walking into the kitchen to get an ice pack for him. I looked outside the window to see the sun had gone down. Komaeda was still gripping my hand tightly.</p><p>“Hinata-kun…?” He whispered, eyes shut tight. “Can we sleep in your bed, since I’m not contagious…?”</p><p>“Uh, I don’t know if that’s a good idea…” I mumbled. I really didn’t want to have to think about my complicated feelings for him right then.</p><p>“Oh…” He let go of my hand dejectedly. “Sorry.”</p><p>“We can hang out on the couch right now, if you want.” I tried to cheer him up a bit. “Just, like, talk.”</p><p>He sat up slowly next to me, gripping my hand. His cheeks were flushed.</p><p>“Can you… tell me a story?” He settled his head on my shoulder. I nodded.</p><p>“Y-yeah, sure.” I laughed awkwardly at the weight on me. “So, do you want me to read you something, or…?”</p><p>“I just… like listening to Hinata-kun’s voice.”</p><p>“Oh, uh… alright. In that case… maybe we should just talk…?”</p><p>He nodded, resting his head in my lap. I flushed red.</p><p>“What’s, uh, your favorite color?”</p><p>“Green.” He replied immediately. “What is yours?”</p><p>“Um, probably… pink?”</p><p>“Because it’s the color of Nanami-chan’s eyes?”</p><p>“N-no, not that. It’s just… really pretty to me.”</p><p>“Mm,” He sighed, wrapping his hands around my waist. I didn’t think it was possible for me to blush harder than I already was, yet this was happening. “I like pretty things…”</p><p>“Y-yeah?” I stuttered. His face was pressed against my stomach. “L-like what?”</p><p>“Like you, Hinata-kun…” He let out a tired giggle.</p><p>“Um, thanks. I-I should go, though…”</p><p>“No, don’t go--!” He whined. “Hinata-kun, please stay with me.”</p><p>“T-that’s probably not a good idea…”</p><p>“Hinata-kun…” He sighed. “Hinata-kun, I don’t want to be alone. I’m gonna have nightmares.”</p><p>“Fine, I’ll stay. Until you fall asleep.”</p><p>“Mm, thank you…” He nuzzled his face into my chest. “Good night.”</p><p>“Yeah, good night, Komaeda.” I pet his hair. “I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Red cheeks: actually an early sign of hypothermia, but Hajime is too dense to realize that and thinks Nagito is just blushing<br/>Withdrawal syndrome: "Physical and mental symptoms that occur after stopping or reducing intake of a drug. Symptoms may include anxiety, fatigue, sweating, vomiting, depression, seizures, and hallucinations." <br/>Mom: Komaeda calls every adult woman 'mom', as long as they're nice to him.<br/>Green: the color of Hinata's eyes, probably should be obvious <br/>Pink: Komaeda's face is pink a lot, as described. Green and pink are complementary colors.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>whoo we're nearing the end!!! sorry that this chap. is shorter than usual, i have another one ready soon :}}</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I woke up on the couch, Komaeda passed out on my lap. It was early enough in the morning that I had time to get ready for school, but I wasn’t ready to get up yet. Honestly, I just wanted to stay like this forever…</p><p>“Hajime, sweetie, it’s time to get up!”</p><p>Okay, never mind.</p><p>I pushed his head off my lap and stood up from the position I was in, trying not to wake him. My mother was standing in front of the door in a business suit, phone in hand.</p><p>“Can Nanami take you to school today? I need to go in early.”</p><p>Things were awkward between Nanami and I, but I supposed I could just walk or take the bus, so I nodded.</p><p>“Yeah, I’ll call her. I thought you were staying home to work?”</p><p>“It’s really busy today, honey. I’ll be back in the afternoon, but I have something I want to take care of. Wake Komaeda and tell him that I’ll be out.”</p><p>“Okay, I will.”</p><p>She smiled and waved to me before exiting the door. I watched as her car pulled out of the driveway and into the street.</p><p>Could I really leave Komaeda here, all by himself? Would he be okay?</p><p>I could always skip school-- my mom wouldn’t know, anyways. But she said she’d be home in the afternoon…</p><p>My phone beeped with a message.</p><p>
  <strong>MOM - 6:50 AM<br/></strong>
  <em>I’m going to be at the office until six tonight-- change of plans. It will be better if you take him in.</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>ME - 6:50 AM<br/></strong>
  <em>I thought he was sick??? </em>
</p><p>
  <strong>MOM - 6:51 AM<br/></strong>
  <em>Take him to school, Hajime. I’m asking that you do. </em>
</p><p>Komaeda stirred under the covers as I glanced at the clock. We had half an hour until I had to be in first period.</p><p>
  <strong>MOM - 6:54 AM</strong>
  <em><br/>Your father is coming home tonight.</em>
</p><p>Well, that settled it.</p><p>I shook Komaeda’s shoulder. </p><p>“Hinata-kun--”</p><p>“We’re going to school now. Get your clothes on.”</p><p>He sat up, startled. I couldn’t blame him, really.</p><p>“W-what?”</p><p>“Come on. We need to go.”</p><p>“How come…?”</p><p>“Because we do, Komaeda! Hurry up, the bus is leaving soon.”</p><p>I pulled him by the hand upstairs and into my room.</p><p>I was not in the mood to see my dad.</p><p>***</p><p>The bus was noisier than I remembered it being, but maybe that’s because Komaeda wanted to sit all the way in the back. He nervously fiddled his thumbs and peered out the window as we drove through the neighborhood.</p><p>The leaves were still falling, but it was going to be winter soon. That much was obvious from the cooling temperature and bare trees. Komaeda was mesmerized by all the sights, and I remembered that he hadn’t seen much of anything since he got out.</p><p>“Hey, man!”</p><p>I looked up to see Souda standing above me, his pink hair pulled into a short ponytail. I smiled at him as he took the seat in the aisle across from ours. Komaeda was too busy staring out the window to notice him.</p><p>“Hey.” I turned to face him, watching as he unplugged his earphones and gave me a sharp-toothed grin.</p><p>“Dude, who’s that girl you’re sitting next to?” He leaned in and whispered to me.</p><p>My face flushed. Komaeda looked back at Souda, who raised his eyebrows questionably. I gave him a look. Komaeda grabbed the back of my shirt and peered out at him.</p><p>“Aw, man…” He whined, scratching his head. “And here I was thinking Hajime finally got a girlfriend! Have we met, dude? My name’s Kazuichi Souda.” He held out his hand.</p><p>“It’s okay, Komaeda, he doesn’t bite. Even if he looks like he does.”</p><p>Komaeda grabbed his hand and shook it. Souda smiled widely.</p><p>“We’re gonna be soul bros, man!”</p><p>***</p><p>It occurred to me that I had absolutely no idea what I was doing once we actually got to school. In the heat of the moment, I assumed taking Komaeda to school would be better than letting him see my dad, which was probably true. But now we were here, and I had a million more problems than I would have if I just let him stay home.</p><p>Souda, Komaeda and I stood in the courtyard before classes started. Souda was telling him about the hottest girls in the grade, and Komaeda was… overwhelmed to say the least. I, on the other hand, was completely panicking. The gears in my head turned as I scouted possible hiding spaces for Komaeda to stay in during the rest of the day.</p><p>Nanami came in through the gate, and Komaeda immediately lit up at the sight of her. It made me… not jealous.</p><p>“Nanami-chan!” He smiled.</p><p>She waved to him and gave me a wide-eyed stare of <em>“what in God’s name are you doing, Hinata” </em>before pulling him away from me. I didn’t interfere, since she probably had a better idea than whatever I could come up with.</p><p>Not long after, I felt my own arm pulled behind me and turned around to see Komaeda and Nanami sitting at a picnic table. Komaeda smiled obliviously, playing <em>Pokémon</em> on Nanami’s console.</p><p>“Hey, Nanami--” I started. She kicked me in the shin.</p><p>“What the hell, Hinata?” She hissed. “What were you thinking?”</p><p>“Why are you so mad at him? I’m trying here!”</p><p>“I’m not mad at him, idiot! I’m mad at<em> you </em>for bringing him here! What even was your plan?”</p><p>“I-- I’m figuring it out!” I said defensively. “What’s your problem?”</p><p>“My problem, Hinata, is that you don’t think before you act! What did you think was going to happen?”</p><p>I had never seen Nanami angry before. It wasn’t exactly a good look on her.</p><p>“I don’t know! My dad’s coming home, alright? I didn’t have a choice!”</p><p>She let go of my arm, her look of anger turning to one of pity. She sighed.</p><p>“Let me take him home.” Nanami said.</p><p>“I-- don’t want him to be alone…”</p><p>“Hinata, he’ll be fine. If you’re really that worried, I’ll stay home with him.”</p><p>I hugged her, sighing.</p><p>“Thank you so much, Nanami. I’m sorry for being such an asshole lately.”</p><p>“I know, it’s okay. I forgive you.”</p><p>She grabbed Komaeda by the hand and pulled him out of the courtyard, waving goodbye. I waved back, relieved.</p><p>***</p><p>I couldn’t think about anything all day except for Komaeda. I just hoped no one else would notice me acting weird. Of course, that wasn’t the case.</p><p>“Hey, Hinata!”</p><p>Ibuki Mioda poked me on the back with a pencil. I rolled my eyes and turned to face her. She was folding paper stars.</p><p>“What?” I asked, uninterested.</p><p>“C’mon, Ibuki knows that face! You’re in lo-ove!” She chirped, giggling behind her hand. My face flushed red.</p><p>“S-stop making stuff up, Mioda.” I huffed.</p><p>“But I’m not, Hajime-chan! You’ve totally got a big crush, and I know exactly who it is!”</p><p>“Y-you do?” I asked. Was I that obvious at the party, or was Mioda just bluffing?</p><p>“Mhm! I’ve seen the way you look at Chiaki-chan-- everyone has!”</p><p>Right, Nanami.</p><p>“Well, as a matter of fact, I don’t have a crush on Nanami.”</p><p>“Aw, man! Ibuki’s totally stumped now!” She pouted, leaning back in her chair. “I was super mega sure that you did…”</p><p>I ignored her whining and went back to looking out the classroom window, wondering what Komaeda was doing right then. Maybe he and Nanami were playing games, having more fun without me. Maybe they were talking about me. Maybe they were making out with I was stuck in chemistry with Ibuki Mioda, the girl who just tried to drink hydrogen peroxide.</p><p>“Bleh, that tastes awful!” Mioda stuck her tongue out.</p><p>I rolled my eyes and scrolled through my camera roll at the pictures Komaeda and I had taken when we were in the forest. There was one of him smiling as he weaved a flower crown, and another where he looked up at the camera and blushed. I found myself grinning at the pictures as I scrolled past each of them. One was a selfie of the two of us, Komaeda grinning wildly as I made a peace-sign with my fingers.</p><p>My phone was suddenly grabbed out of my own hands.</p><p>“Haji-chan is blushing!” Mioda laughed, huddling over the screen and zooming in on Komaeda’s face.</p><p>“Mioda--!” I pawed at the phone, but it was no use. The only thought going through my head was <em>“she better not look through my search history”</em> as she scrolled through all the pictures I had of Komaeda.</p><p>“Aww, is he your boyfriend?”</p><p>“Give it--!” I shouted, louder than I should have. The teacher glared at the two of us. We both shut up.</p><p>“He’s so cute, Haji!” She whispered. “Ibuki didn’t know you swung that way!”</p><p>I felt my face heat up.</p><p>“Leave me alone, Mioda…”</p><p>“Oh, oh! Ibuki isn’t judging you! She thinks your boyfriend is super cute!”</p><p>“He’s not my boyfriend.” I grabbed the phone back from her. “A-and even if he was my boyfriend, you can’t just go announcing that stuff…”</p><p>“Oh, Hajime-chan!” She grabbed my hands. “This is great! When he was talking to me at Souda-chan’s house, he wouldn’t shut up about you! He was really upset when you yelled at him, though, so he just ran off.”</p><p>Well, great. That made me feel even worse.</p><p>“Why do you care about my personal life?” I huffed, crossing my arms.</p><p>“Because <em>you </em>don’t!” She whisper-shouted. “If you just keep pushing your feelings down, you’re never gonna get the chance to tell him. And then you’re gonna live the rest of your life all sad and lonely…” Mioda leaned back in her chair.</p><p>“I just…” I sighed. “I don’t know. I don’t know if I even like him like that, Mioda.”</p><p>“But you do! Ibuki sees the way you look at him!”</p><p>I groaned and rested my head on the table. She was… probably right. I felt her poke my shoulder again.</p><p>“Hey, Haji-chan…? You’re not mad at Ibuki, are you?”</p><p>“No.” I said honestly. I looked up from the desk and stared at her. “This is all so confusing, Mioda.”</p><p>She gave me a knowing smile and went back to taking notes.</p><p>***</p><p>I tried not to seem clingy, of course, but didn’t I have the right to worry about Komaeda? I ate lunch by myself, pulling out my phone and texting Nanami.</p><p>
  <strong>ME  - 11:30 AM<br/></strong>
  <em>hey how is komaeda doing<br/>like is he doing okay?</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>CHIAKI NANAMI - 11:30 AM<br/></strong>
  <em>he’s fine<br/>we’re playing mario kart<br/>he keeps talking about how much he misses u</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>ME - 11:31 AM<br/></strong>
  <em>oh uh<br/>tell him I miss him 2</em>
</p><p>I smiled to myself, imagining Komaeda thinking about me. It made my heart beat just a little bit faster. I wondered if Komaeda was any good at Mario Kart. Someone plopped down next to me on the bench, and I shut off my phone to look at them.</p><p>“Hi…?” I said, unsure of how to greet the girl in front of me. Her long blonde hair was tied into a ponytail, and she was noticeably shorter than me. She gave me a glare and set her lunch tray down in front of her.</p><p>“Hey.” She responded, resting her face in her hands. Big green eyes bore into mine, and I shifted uncomfortably. “I’m Natsumi Kuzuryuu.” She held her hand out for me to shake, and I took it.</p><p>“Oh, you’re Fuyuhiko’s sister, right?”</p><p>She nodded.</p><p>“Yeah, that’s me. Anyways, you looked kind of depressed all by yourself over here. Not that I care or anything, but I need you to help me with something.”</p><p>“Help with… what?”</p><p>“You’ll see.” She stood up, throwing her entire lunch tray into the trash and grabbing my hand. She led me back behind the courtyard and into the faculty parking lot, smiling proudly when we arrived. I raised my eyebrows, wondering what I was supposed to be seeing. Honestly, it just looked like a normal parking lot.</p><p>“So… what did you need me for?” I asked.</p><p>“God, you’re fucking stupid!” Natsumi huffed, hands on her hips. “Which car do you think costs the most, Hinata?”</p><p>“Uh, that one?” I pointed to a red sports car at the end of the lot. She laughed.</p><p>“Yeah, of course you do. But no, it’s actually this bad boy.” She slapped the roof of a shiny black off-roader. I winced.</p><p>“It’s yours?”</p><p>“No fucking way!” Natsumi snorted, hitting the car window. “But it’s gonna be. We’re gonna steal this car.”</p><p>“What the fuck? No!” I shouted. She frowned.</p><p>“Why not, man?”</p><p>“Because--! It’s expensive!”</p><p>“Would you be cool stealing a cheap one, then?”</p><p>“I don’t want to steal a car at all!”</p><p>Natsumi groaned, raising her hands to the air in mock surrender.</p><p>“Fine, suit yourself. I’m not taking it without someone else, anyways.” She grabbed my hand and pulled me back towards the main courtyard, a mischievous smile on her face. It was unsurprisingly reminiscent of her brother.</p><p>“But if you change your mind, here’s my number.” She flashed me a grin and handed me a slip of paper before running off back to wherever she came from. I shoved the paper in my pocket- it was probably a pizza place, if I knew the Kuzuryuu family well enough.</p><p>“Okay…” I mumbled to myself, sitting back down on the bench. That was… weird, I guess. I pushed away my thoughts of stealing cars as the bell rang.</p><p>Just a few more hours, and I can see Komaeda again.</p><p>***</p><p>I fell asleep in algebra, waking up to two missed calls and twelve text messages from multiple contacts. I opened Nanami’s messages first, hoping there was an update on Komaeda.</p><p>
  <strong>CHIAKI NANAMI - 1:44 PM<br/></strong>
  <em>hello hinata-kun! its me!<br/>(sent 1 image)<br/>nanami-chan let me have her phone, and I am playing angry birds!!!<br/>(sent 1 image)<br/>let me know if you get this!! I miss you!!</em>
</p><p>There was another message from Nanami (or Komaeda) about twenty minutes later.</p><p>
  <strong>CHIAKI NANAMI - 2:00 PM<br/></strong>
  <em>hello again hinata-kun!! nanami says that you are busy, so I do not want to bother you. we are playing mine craft now, and I made a house!!!!!!!<br/>(sent 2 images)<br/>I put a room for you in the house, there is a painting on the wall!!<br/>have a good day at school!! I miss you!!!</em>
</p><p>I stared up at the clock-- that was sent almost an hour ago. I felt a twinge of guilt for not replying, especially since Komaeda seemed so excited to talk to me. I wrote back.</p><p>
  <strong>ME - 3:03 PM<br/></strong>
  <em>hey, sorry I didn’t see ur messages<br/>cool house, it looks nice :)<br/>school’s out in half an hour, I’ll see you soon.</em>
</p><p>I got a response almost immediately.</p><p><strong>CHIAKI NANAMI - 3:03 PM<br/></strong><em>oh okay!! I’m glad you saw, I thought maybe you were </em><em>ignoring me! </em>( ´﹀` )</p><p>
  <strong>ME - 3:04 PM<br/></strong>
  <em>I like the emoticon <br/>dw, ill be home soon</em>
</p><p><strong>CHIAKI NANAMI - 3:04 PM<br/></strong>(◍•ᴗ•◍)</p><p>I smiled to myself, closing the message tab and opening the other unread texts. The remaining three were from my father.</p><p><strong>DAD - 2:56 PM<br/></strong><em>I’m sure your mother told you, but I’m coming home tonight. </em><br/>I’m excited to see you, kiddo.<br/>-Dad</p><p>My stomach hurt looking at the messages. He was acting so nice, like he actually cared about seeing me. Maybe he did, honestly. I didn’t care, though. I left him on read, shutting off my phone and shoving it in my backpack right as the bell rang. I texted my mom to tell her I was hanging out at Chiaki’s already, so I ran out the door and turned into Nanami’s neighborhood.</p><p>Nanami lived pretty close to the school, which was lucky for both of us. Once I reached her house, I knocked at her door to the Super Mario theme, so she knew it was me.</p><p>I didn’t hear any response and assumed Nanami was too busy gaming to hear me, so I twisted the doorknob open and stepped inside the house.</p><p>The first thing I noticed was that the living room was even messier than normal, which wasn’t too weird. But still, a game controller was smashed to pieces on the carpet, and I knew how much Nanami treasured her controllers.</p><p>“Nanami?” I called, looking up the stairwell. She wasn’t anywhere on the first floor, so she had to be in her room. I wondered if she and Komaeda had headphones on as I walked up the stairs. One of the windows was wide open, which was unusual for Nanami. It was pretty nice out, though, so I shrugged it off. I pushed open Nanami’s bedroom door when I felt a hand cover my eyes and pull me inside the room.</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>hajime's dad: his parents are split, but his dad still keeps in contact with the family. Hajime doesn't like him that much<br/>ibuki: i just love her a lot,,,<br/>natsumi: not enough natsumi content on here, shes the best<br/>car: hajime might just take her up on that offer<br/>emoticons: chiaki showed nagito how to paste them, and he uses them religiously ( ˘͈ ᵕ ˘͈♡)</p><p>make sure to drink water today</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>TW for violence!!!</p><p>okay !!! i'm bumping the rating up to teen now because of violence. It's not super graphic, but someone does lose a limb (not nagito, surprisingly) so that's that. if it makes u uncomfy, i'd recommend you skip this chapter for now :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Obviously, my first reaction was to scream, but the person covering my eyes also put a hand over my mouth. I bit their hand, causing them to hiss loudly and jump back. When I opened my eyes, the curtains in Chiaki’s room were all closed, the lights out. I whipped my head around to see Nanami and Komaeda huddled under her desk.</p><p>Nanami put a finger to her lips, gesturing for me to be quiet. I knelt down so that I was facing both of them, and I noticed that Komaeda was crying. I stared at Nanami, whose eyes were blown wide. She gestured for me to join them under the desk, and I did. Komaeda gripped my arm tightly, his nails digging into my skin. My heart was beating so fast, I thought I might curl up and die.</p><p>What the hell was going on? They weren’t playing hide and seek, that’s for certain. So what was this? Komaeda was biting his lip so hard that it had started to bleed. I rested a hand on Komaeda’s back, trying to calm him.</p><p>“Hinata-kun…?” He whispered, so low I could barely hear it.</p><p>“I’m right here.” I told him. He sighed shakily.</p><p>Nanami shushed us both, and Komaeda curled up into a little ball. I glared at her, but she looked to scared to give me a look back. Komaeda was breathing heavily, his hands shaking. I slowly reached down and grabbed his hand, lacing our fingers together. He was cold, so I rubbed little circles into his palms, and he seemed to calm down. Nanami was tapping her foot anxiously, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was really wrong.</p><p>I don’t know how long we stayed under the desk, but it was long enough that Komaeda’s breathing went back to normal. Things seemed to be getting better when I heard footsteps on the stairwell. Were Nanami’s parents home? That couldn’t be it-- she told me they weren’t coming back for another month. Komaeda took a sharp breath in and squeezed my hand tighter. I was sure he would draw blood, but it wasn’t important in the moment because someone was literally outside the door right now, and it was someone that none of us knew.</p><p>I looked over at Komaeda, whose eyes were shut tightly as he dug his nails into my hand. The footsteps only got louder, as did my heartbeat in my ears. The doorknob slid open, and I squeezed Komaeda’s hand, shutting my eyes.</p><p>
  <em>Holy shit, we’re going to die, what the fuck oh my god,</em>
</p><p>The door creaked open, light from the hallway pouring into the room. I peeked out to see a black combat boot step inside the doorway, immediately closing my eyes again.</p><p>
  <em>I don’t want to die I’m only fifteen I haven’t even passed my driver’s test, I really don’t want to die in here like this fucking hell also komaeda has really soft hands and oh my god why am I thinking that I’m literally about to die,</em>
</p><p>I could hear my heartbeat in my ears, Komaeda’s air-tight grip not even painful anymore as the person stepped into the room completely. Something made a clicking sound, which I can only imagine was a gun cocking. Komaeda clung to my waist desperately, digging his head into my chest. I grabbed the back of his hair and pressed my face above his. The footsteps were even louder, and I knew that the person was in front of Nanami’s desk now.</p><p>
  <em>God if you’re real please save me I’ve never even skipped school I don’t want to die a loser--</em>
</p><p>“Hinata-kun…” Komaeda whispered into my chest, and I took a shaky breath in, my eyes wet.</p><p>“Komaeda, I know we don’t know each other that well and this is like a really bad time, but I don’t know if we’re gonna make it out of here, so I really need to tell you--”</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>WHACK!</em>
  </strong>
</p><p>I opened my eyes to see the intruder on the floor, hissing in pain. Nanami was standing over him with a bloody softball bat in her hands, her eyes blown wide. I couldn’t imagine when she had gotten out from under the desk, let alone had time to grab a bat and sneak out from behind him, but I wasn’t complaining.</p><p>“Get up!” She screamed, and Komaeda let go of me.</p><p>“N-Nanami-chan?” Komaeda stared at her, tear stains streaked down his face. Our attacker reached down to grab his pistol, but Nanami hit him again on the head and grabbed the gun. My heart was racing, adrenaline coursing through my veins. Or whatever they say in action movies.</p><p>“Come on, we gotta go!” Nanami shouted, dropping the bat. I jumped up, pulling Komaeda with me. None of us hesitated to run out into the hall, Nanami slamming the door shut behind us.</p><p>The three of us rushed down the stairs and out the front door, sprinting down the sidewalk at full speed. A white van with the words “<em>REPAIR AND PLUMBING” </em>painted on the side was parked next to Nanami’s driveway. I honestly don’t know how I didn’t see it, but I pushed the thought aside and kept running all the way to my own neighborhood.</p><p>“What the fuck was that?!” I screamed at the top of my lungs.</p><p>“I don’t know, he just showed up!” She shouted back, shoving the pistol into her pink cat backpack, still running at full speed. Komaeda was directly behind us, panting.</p><p>We didn’t stop running until we reached my house, rushing inside and locking the door behind us.</p><p>***</p><p>Nanami took a shaky breath and fell back onto the couch, gripping the cushions so hard her knuckles went white. Komaeda collapsed to the ground, sobbing loudly as he curled into a ball again.</p><p><em>“Oh my god, what the fuck…” </em>She whispered under her breath, putting her face in her hands. I followed suit and covered my mouth with my hand.</p><p>It was completely silent for God knows how long until I broke the silence.</p><p>“You guys.” I uncovered my mouth, hands still shaking. Nanami looked up at me, and without another word, we both broke into a fit of laughter.</p><p>“Holy <em>shit</em>!” I shouted, snorting loudly. Nanami wheezed, her mouth open in a perpetual<em> o</em> shape. Her lips curled into a smile as she began laughing uncontrollably. I’d heard of people getting high from adrenaline, but experiencing it firsthand was completely different. I collapsed to the ground, nearly crying from laughter. Every time I tried to stop laughing, Nanami cracked up and I lost it again. Komaeda was staring at both of us, eyes wide.</p><p>“W-what’s so funny?” He stuttered, cocking his head. That just made Nanami and I laugh harder, but I stopped myself when Komaeda looked genuinely upset.</p><p>“I don’t know!” I snorted. Nanami wheezed in the corner. “It was crazy, did you see Nanami--"</p><p>I looked back at Komaeda to see that he was crying softly, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. I stopped laughing, my expression softening as I scooted over to sit next to him.</p><p>“Hey, what’s wrong?”</p><p>He sniffled.</p><p>“A-aren’t you guys mad a-at me?” He looked up at me, eyes shiny and cheeks red. “You c-could have died because of me!”</p><p>“Hey, Komaeda, no…” I put a hand on his shoulder. “We’re fine, see? Everything’s okay.” I smiled softly.</p><p>“But it’s all my fault, Hinata-kun! This never would have happened if it weren’t for me!” He sobbed. “Don’t you see? I’m putting you in danger just by being around you--!”</p><p>I pulled him into a hug, and he broke down crying. I shushed him, petting his hair with my free hand. Nanami hopped off the couch and joined us in a group hug.</p><p>“Hey, hey.” Nanami whispered. “Bad things happen all the time, it’s not your fault. Besides, if we thought you were dangerous, we wouldn’t have helped you in the first place. I think, anyways.”</p><p>“Yeah, Nanami’s right. We care about you, Komaeda.”</p><p>“Why…?” He whispered into my chest.</p><p>“’Cause that’s what friends are for.” I responded, resting my chin on his head. “We look out for each other, no matter what.”</p><p>“Hinata does stupid things all the time.” Nanami chuckled, elbowing me softly. “But I still love him. Sometimes you have to stick it out for the people you love, even if they do something dumb. And that includes you. You’re our friend, and we love you.”</p><p>“No matter what.” I added, petting his hair. He looked up at me with puffy eyes, and I let out a soft chuckle. I noticed Nanami wasn’t hugging him anymore, but I didn’t mind. It felt like the two of us were in our own world.</p><p>
  <em>“I know we don’t know each other that well and this is like a really bad time, but I don’t know if we’re gonna make it out of here, so I really need to tell you--”</em>
</p><p>I almost confessed to him. I thought I was going to die and all I wanted to do was confess to him. I’m not going to die. I know that, but…</p><p>“Komaeda?” He looked up at me, pale eyelashes wet from crying. “I was going to tell you something back at Nanami’s house, but I didn’t get the chance to. Um, so I really--"</p><p>“Hey, Hinata?” Nanami interrupted, peeking out the blinds and into the street. I was getting ready to yell at her for ruining my confession scene for the second time today when she met my eyes with a terrified expression. I stood up, out of Komaeda’s embrace, and peeked out to where she was looking.</p><p>There were two vans in our driveway with the words “PLUMBING AND REPAIR” printed on the side of each. Nanami and I stared at each other for a quick second.</p><p>“Shit.” I cursed under my breath. She bit her lip, nodding. “We gotta get out of here.”</p><p>“Where are we gonna go? Back and forth between our houses? Hinata, we have to go to the police.”</p><p>“No fucking way! Have you forgotten about Komaeda? He’s basically a hostage!” I hissed back.</p><p>“Where do you suggest we go, then?” She glared at me, reaching into her backpack and pulling out the pistol from earlier.</p><p>“Do you have Sonia’s address?”</p><p>“Yeah, I do.”</p><p>“How far is she?”</p><p>“Couple miles, tops. She’s home now, but we have to make it out of here first.”</p><p>“Right. Any ideas?”</p><p>The car door opened, and a woman dressed in all black stepped out into the street. Nanami gasped sharply.</p><p>We were lucky enough to escape death once. I don’t know if we’re going to get that chance again.</p><p>Nanami stared at me.</p><p>“Let’s go out back, right?” She said. “The forest is big, I don’t think they’ll find us there--”</p><p>The door opened, and time seemed to stop.</p><p>Two women in all-black stood in the doorway, their faces covered by a plastic two-toned bear mask. It would have been funny if it weren’t so terrifying. Nanami raised her pistol shakily, aiming it at the shorter of the women. In return, she cocked a shotgun and aimed it in Nanami’s direction.</p><p>I stared at Komaeda, who was cowering behind me. I furrowed my eyebrows and looked back at the women. The shorter, who Nanami was aiming at, had pale pink hair that jutted out from under her mask. The taller one had grey hair reminiscent of Nanami’s, except more wild. I bit my lip, hands trembling.</p><p>“What do you want?” I shouted, trying not to sound lame. It definitely didn’t work.</p><p>“You know what we want.” The shorter woman said.</p><p>“Please give him to us, he is dangerous…” The other said, fumbling with her own handgun. “We will take good care of him, if you hand him over. We will not hurt him…”</p><p>“You’re lying!” Nanami hissed. The pink-haired woman tutted. “If you get any closer, I’ll shoot!”</p><p>The shorter woman laughed, pulling off her plastic bear mask to reveal ice blue eyes and pink cheeks. There was a fur lining on her leather coat. She couldn’t have been older than twenty. She took a step towards us, and I winced as Nanami pulled the trigger on the gun.</p><p>Nothing.</p><p>“W-what the hell?” Nanami cursed, pulling the trigger again.</p><p>“You didn’t cock it, idiot.” The woman smiled devilishly, grabbing me by the collar. I yelped, trying to escape her grip, but it was no use.</p><p>“Get off me!” I screamed, but she just grimaced and rolled her eyes. She put the barrel of her shotgun to my head, the cold metal pressing against my skin.</p><p>“Come on, hand him over!” She growled to Nanami, who was on the verge of tears. The other woman had a gun pointed to Nanami in case she made another move with the handgun.</p><p>“Give us the kid, or <em>he</em> gets it!” She glanced in my direction. I gulped. I really didn’t want to die. Nanami took a shaky breath, whimpering. The woman pushed the gun closer to my forehead, and I felt tears slip down my face.</p><p>
  <em>“Stop--!”</em>
</p><p>I heard something splatter, and I no longer felt the woman’s grip on me. I opened my eyes to see the woman’s hand completely disconnected from the rest of her arm, as if it had been brutally chopped off. I looked over at Nanami, who had the same expression on her face as I did. She hadn’t moved at all from the position she was in, and neither had the woman. Her eyes were blown wide with shock as the remains of her hand poured blood onto the floor.</p><p>The actual hand was on the ground, pink manicured nails stained with crimson. The blood was soaking into the carpet. I looked back to see Komaeda staring at his own hands, horrified. The pink-haired woman collapsed to the floor, and Komaeda wailed loudly. The other woman dropped her gun and rushed to her side. Nanami, still shell-shocked, just stared at the amputated limb on the ground.</p><p>It was deafeningly silent, my ears ringing. I don’t know when, but I passed out at some point, the sound of Komaeda sobbing flooding my senses before everything went black.</p><p>***</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>holding hands: komaeda and hinata only ever hold hands in private, even when they're about to die. <br/>driver's test: i still have not taken drivers ed in fear of dying<br/>softball bat: it's like baseball, except not as fun /hj<br/>confessing: hinata has come to terms with the fact that he might be in love<br/>women: idk if you can tell, but these women are ruruka ando and seiko kimura from the dr3 anime<br/>masks: monokuma masks, similar to the ones the monokuma kids are shown wearing in dr:ae<br/>ruruka's hand: someone had to lose a limb, and i don't want it to be komaeda this time. (side note: did komaeda do that?)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>this is a short chapter, i know, but it has to be in order for the next few to work plot-wise. enjoy!! &lt;3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I woke up in a remarkably soft bed, silk sheets covering me. I squinted, sitting up to take in my surroundings. There was a crystal chandelier above the bed, and my right hand was bandaged up. I looked to my left, where I saw Nanami sitting in a chair. She sighed with relief when I sat up, wrapping her arms around my neck and embracing me. I hugged back, unsure of what to do.</p><p>“Nanami? Where…?”</p><p>It all came back in a tsunami-level wave, the memories of Nanami holding a bloody softball bat, hugging Komaeda, the two women in bear masks, and, of course…</p><p>I didn’t want to think about it. Which, of course, only made the image stronger. My stomach flipped inside out at the memory of the dismembered hand on my carpet, and I felt like I was going to vomit.</p><p>“Sonia’s.” She responded, letting go of me and sighing. “Komaeda and I had to drag you out the back door, but we got on the bus and Sonia let us stay here.”</p><p>“Is Komaeda okay? Did he get hurt?”</p><p>“He’s fine, just resting.” She put a hand on mine and laughed nervously. Her eyes were red, presumably from crying. I smiled.</p><p>“That was fucking badass, Nanami.”</p><p>She let out a pained laugh, rubbing her temples.</p><p>“It was <em>not</em>, I didn’t even load the gun. She would have shot you if it weren’t for…”</p><p>“What happened? To her hand, I mean.”</p><p>“I honestly have no clue.” She sighed. “I mean, it just fucking exploded. Out of nowhere, Hinata. It was something straight out of a video game.”</p><p>She smiled sadly at me.</p><p>“We really are in deep, huh?” She chuckled, but I could tell it was forced. I nodded slightly. “I’m so glad you’re alive.” She hugged me again, and this time I didn’t hug back.</p><p>“I am, too.”</p><p>***</p><p>Komaeda’s eyes were red, dark circles underneath them. He was sickeningly pale, even more so than usual. And skittish. I mean, he had always been an anxious kid, but it was different now. He was jumpy, as if he would harm anyone who tried to touch him. I was sitting by his bed (which was actually Sonia’s). He wouldn’t let me come close to him.</p><p>“Hey, Komaeda.” I reached out to hug him, but he jumped back. I retracted my hand. “Are you feeling okay?”</p><p>“Don’t <em>touch</em> me, Hinata-kun.” He hissed, voice breaking. “Go <em>away.”</em></p><p>“Komaeda--”</p><p>“Go away. <em>Please.”</em></p><p>“What did I do? Please, whatever it is, I didn’t mean it. I’m sorry--”</p><p>“It’s not you! It’s me! I’m going to hurt you, and--!”</p><p>“Whoa, whoa. What are you talking about?”</p><p>“That lady! Her hand, Hinata-kun! You saw it, I know you did--!” He gasped, wiping his eyes. “I did that, and what if I do it again? What if, next time, it’s you?”</p><p>“Komaeda, you didn’t do anything. You didn’t even touch her--”</p><p>“I didn’t mean to, I never mean to!” He interrupted, voice scratchy. He stared down at his hands in horror, as if they weren’t a part of his own body. “I didn’t want to hurt her! I can’t control it, I- I don’t know how to control it, Hinata-kun!”</p><p>“You’re trying to tell me that you exploded that lady’s hand?”</p><p>“Yes! I don’t know how, but I did, I know I did! That’s why they want me! There’s something seriously wrong with me, Hinata-kun.” He stared at me with bloodshot eyes. “M-maybe I’m locked up for a reason.”</p><p>“Don’t say that!” I shouted, and he flinched. “Even if what you’re saying is true, which I have a really hard time believing, you still don’t deserve to be treated like- like some sort of human science experiment!”</p><p>“I’m a danger to everyone--!”</p><p>“Put your hand on me, then.” I reached my arm out in front of him. He stared at it.</p><p>“N-no, what if I--”</p><p>“You won’t.”</p><p>“But--”</p><p>“Do you trust me?”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>“Then put your hand on me.”</p><p>“Why…?”</p><p>“In all the time we’ve spent together, you’ve never hurt me. Not once. You only… hurt that lady because you were scared.”</p><p>“But I can’t control it--”</p><p>“I think you can. Think about it-- you did it because you thought you were in danger, and you were. If you couldn’t control it at all, that wouldn’t have happened. I trust you enough to let you touch me, so I want you to do the same.”</p><p>His eyebrows furrowed, and he hesitantly reached out. He put his hand in mine, and I smiled as our fingers interlocked. He let out a breath, looking at least a little relieved.</p><p>“See?”</p><p>He nodded slightly.</p><p>I don’t know if he blew up that lady’s hand. It’s hard to believe, but not impossible. Maybe he did. That means I should be scared of him, but… I’m not. If anything, I trust him more.</p><p>“I made a promise to protect you, and I’m going to stay true to my word.” I smiled and let go of his hand. “That’s what friends are for, right?”</p><p>He hugged me tightly, and I could feel his chin resting on my shoulder. I put my arms around his waist and hugged him back. He sniffled softly, and I shushed him.</p><p>“I’m sorry…”</p><p>“It’s okay.” I moved over to sit on the bed next to him. He rested his head on my chest, his arms wrapping around my sides as he propped his knee on my thighs. I looked down at him, the usual red of his cheeks fading. I watched him bite his quivering lip, tears threatening to spill out over his face. He grabbed my shirt and pressed his face to it, like he was hiding from me.</p><p>“I’m tired, Hinata-kun.”</p><p>“Sleep. I’ll be okay.”</p><p>“Okay…”</p><p>We both fell asleep in Sonia’s bed, soothed by the comfort of one another.</p><p>***</p><p>Twenty-four text messages and seven missed calls, all from my mother. I should have been home hours ago, but I fell asleep with Komaeda in Sonia’s bedroom. I quickly typed out a response and told her that my phone died on me. She wasn’t happy with that response, but reluctantly agreed to let me stay over at Sonia’s house. She didn’t mention anything about a severed hand on the carpet, which alarmed me. I guess we both have secrets.</p><p>Nanami requested that I give Komaeda some time alone, and I reluctantly obliged. I knew it was what’s best for him, but I didn’t quite want to leave him alone. Sonia baked us cinnamon rolls, which were surprisingly really good. I don’t know why it’s surprising; I guess I just assumed rich people didn’t cook, but I couldn’t see any chefs around the kitchen here.</p><p>I’d been to a few of Sonia’s birthday parties before; I knew how big her house was, but it was different when there were only four people home. She had a huge greenhouse and her own private beach that she gladly showed Nanami and I around. Every time Nanami and Sonia would flirt, my stomach would sink. I wished, embarrassingly, in the back of my mind, that I would maybe get the chance to flirt with someone like the two of them did.</p><p>Nanami pushed Sonia onto the beach, Sonia landing in the sand. She stood up, kicking her shoes off, and grabbed Nanami’s arm. The two of them went toppling into the sand, falling on their butts. They both laughed, grabbing each other by the arms as they tried to stand up. The sun was going down, a warm yellow light casted over the beach.</p><p>“Stop it!” Nanami giggled, pushing Sonia off her chest. Sonia blew a raspberry at her, splashing her with water.</p><p>I went back inside.</p><p>Komaeda wasn’t in Sonia’s room, so I went around the house looking for him. He was in one of the many guest rooms, sitting on the window ledge and looking out at the sky. I knocked on the doorframe, and he turned around.</p><p>“Hey.” I greeted.</p><p>“Hello, Hinata-kun.” He scooted over, making room for me on the windowsill. I hopped up, sitting next to him. The window looked out over the forest, treetops visible outside. Komaeda was dressed in a pair of Sonia’s silk pajamas and knee-high socks. His wrists were visible, a long scar stretching over the inside of his forearm. It looked fresh, a few days old at most. I couldn’t really call it a scar, but it wasn’t a wound either.</p><p>Komaeda caught me staring and tucked his arms across his chest, hiding them. I felt bad, so I grabbed his hand gently and held it.</p><p>“What happened?” I asked. He looked down.</p><p>“Cut it.” He said, pulling his knees up to his chest. He was back to speaking in only a few words, something he only did when he was nervous.</p><p>“What happened?”</p><p>“I took it out.” He responded, turning around to face the window. I didn’t push the subject further. I noticed something underneath his shirt, on his lower abdomen. A serial number, it looked like. I squinted to get a closer look at it, and Komaeda whipped his head around. </p><p>He stared at me with big grey eyes. I cleared my throat.</p><p>“What, uh, what… is that?”</p><p>He squinted at me, scrunching his nose. I gestured to his stomach, and he pulled up the fabric covering his skin. It was a number, seemingly tattooed onto his skin. It was small, but large enough to be read. My hand ghosted over it, brushing the tips of my fingers against the black ink. The number read <em>3127-A.</em></p><p>“Does it hurt?”</p><p>“Not anymore.”</p><p>I looked up at him. He pulled his shirt back down.</p><p>“Hinata-kun.” He stared into my eyes, a strange look of determination on his face.</p><p>“Hm…?”</p><p>“I-- I’m sorry, again.”</p><p>“I know. It’s okay.”</p><p>He nodded, turning to face back out the window. I shrugged it off; I was used to Komaeda’s weirdness by now. Maybe I should have paid more attention.</p><p>Maybe then I wouldn’t have had to deal with what came next.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Komaeda: okay. so. he did that. it's never mentioned before, but komaeda does have some sort of 'supernatural' abilities, considering this WAS supposed to be a stranger things AU<br/>Hinata: skeptical, but I had him believe Ko a lot earlier than originally planned for plot-relevance<br/>Nanami: she and sonia are in a committed freshman-year relationship. </p><p>again i'm sorry ab the short chapter, pls forgive me :( have a good rest of the week, next chap should be out in a few days at most</p><p>-lev</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>told u id do this one quick!! thanks for bearing with me while i wrote this</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>An entire month went by, Komaeda living not-so-temporarily at Sonia’s house as the other three of us went to school like normal. My father ended up leaving early since I wasn’t home, and my mother was honestly grateful. Neither of us wanted to deal with the guy, and having him away made everything exponentially easier.</p><p>School was as it always is. Homework and essays and C-plusses on tests that I won’t bother to retake. Life was painstakingly normal again. Komaeda picked up playing chess, and soon enough he could beat everyone in our friend group. I couldn’t bring Monomi over to Sonia’s, but I gave Komaeda daily updates on her, which he appreciated. Life… just resumed, like nothing had ever happened. My mother never brought up any severed hands, and the living room carpet was completely stainless.</p><p>I learned guitar. I wasn’t any good at it, but I was trying. Komaeda always loved listening to me play, even though my cues were late, and I messed up the chords more often than not.</p><p>Komaeda and Tsumiki were honorary best friends. They even had matching friendship bracelets, which I was not at all jealous of. Tsumiki was a good person, and it’s not like she stole Komaeda from me or anything like that. I still missed when it was just the two of us, though; we could never seem to get any time alone anymore.</p><p>Overall, things were good. Great, even. I was starting to think everything would be fine, and Komaeda would be safe.</p><p>But hope can be a dangerous thing to have.</p><p>***</p><p>“I literally was at one HP, and this healer came over, right? So obviously I thought she would heal me…”</p><p>I nodded along to Nanami’s story with mock interest as we approached Sonia’s driveway.</p><p>“Wow, what a bad teammate!” Sonia remarked, opening the gate with the keypad. Nanami nodded.  “The nerve of some people.”</p><p>Sonia unlocked the front door with her house key, and the three of us stepped inside. We put our bookbags down by the fireplace and slipped off our shoes, something that Sonia was always persistent we do. Komaeda’s shoes weren’t by the door.</p><p>Usually, Komaeda is in the library, reading. I went inside the archive to greet him, but the room was completely empty. I furrowed my eyebrows.</p><p>He wasn’t in the greenhouse, Sonia told us. Nanami mentioned that he wasn’t in any of the guest rooms, either. My stomach sank.</p><p>Nanami must have sensed my uneasiness, because she put a hand on my shoulder reassuringly.</p><p>“He’s safe here, remember?” She gave me a smile. I tried smiling back. “Probably just exploring.”</p><p>I nodded. He was safe here. There was nothing to worry about.</p><p>***</p><p>Nanami gave up searching at around six, dread clouding her like a thick blanket. I checked every room in the house twice, not even finding any signs that he had been here at all. It’s like he just disappeared; every trace of him had been swept away.</p><p>Sonia called us all to the dining room, laying down a piece of scrap paper she had found in the library.</p><p>“It is addressed to you.” She explained, handing me the paper. I took it reluctantly, my head screaming <em>‘don’t open it’</em> as loud as it could. I pushed the thoughts away and unfolded the letter.</p><p>
  <em>Don’t look for me.</em>
</p><p>That was all it said. No signature, no morse code or hidden message in the corners. Just four words on a page, addressed to me.</p><p>“Hinata-san?” Sonia grabbed my arm. “Is everything alright? You look pale.” I shook her off, staring down at the letter again.</p><p>
  <em>Don’t look for me.</em>
</p><p>“Hinata.” Nanami tried to grab the letter from my hand. I pulled it away, holding it to my chest. “Hinata, what does it say?”</p><p>I handed it to her reluctantly. She stared at the writing, her eyes widening. Sonia peeked over her shoulder to take a look.</p><p>“W-where the hell did he go?” I stuttered, my hands shaking.</p><p>“He doesn’t want us to look for him, it seems--”</p><p>“N-no, that could be a trap. I-it probably is; someone took him and then wrote this letter! That’s what happened--”</p><p>“Hinata.” Nanami stared at me. “You need to think rationally.”</p><p>“I am thinking rationally! S-someone took Komaeda, and--”</p><p>“How could they have gotten in here? How did they know to take every single one of Komaeda’s things?”</p><p>“I- I don’t know, but they did!”</p><p>“No.” Nanami grabbed my hand tightly. “Komaeda left on his own. That much is clear to me.”</p><p>“So what? You’re just saying we let him go? Alone?”</p><p>“No. Quite the opposite, really. But we can’t dive into a wild goose chase headfirst without planning.” She picked up her cat backpack and emptied its contents onto the table. I noticed the pistol was still there. She picked up a pencil and piece of paper, scribbling what looked like a map onto it. She drew a square in the corner, circling it with red.</p><p>“Where could he have gone?”</p><p>“Uh, I don’t--” I breathed in. “Last time, I found him in the forest.”</p><p>“Last time?” Sonia piped up. Nanami drew a dot in the middle of what I assumed symbolized the forest.</p><p>“Okay. Anywhere else?”</p><p>“Yeah. Over there, way back in the forest?” I pointed off the paper and onto the table. “That’s the hospital or whatever where he came from. I can walk there from my house, it’s a good two and a half miles.”</p><p>“You think he’s there?”</p><p>My heart sank.</p><p>“I- I don’t know. He hates it there, I don’t think he would go back on purpose, unless it was really serious…”</p><p>“Let’s wait it out for a few days, okay? If he doesn’t come back by then, we can start looking.” Nanami put a hand to her chin in thought.</p><p>“What? No! He could be in serious danger, we need to go now!”</p><p>“Hinata, we cant just rush into battle unprepared…”</p><p>“Fuck off, this isn’t a video game!” I shouted. “Komaeda is all alone in wherever-the-fuck and we’re just going to wait for him to come back?”</p><p>“He’s done fine on his own for a long time. Besides, didn’t he say he doesn’t want us to come looking for him?” Nanami’s face contorted ever so slightly, and I got the idea that this wasn’t a decision she wanted to make. “We’ll wait a day, alright? Get some rest.”</p><p>“This is bullshit,” I mumbled under my breath, heading out the front door. I didn’t wait for Nanami or Sonia. As soon as the door closed behind me, I sprinted down the street back to my house.</p><p>Bad idea.</p><p>The last thing I remembered seeing before I passed out was a man in a two-toned bear mask, machine gun strapped to his back.</p><p>***</p><p>Wherever I was, it was dark. I couldn’t see anything except for my own feet. I could hear the whirr of an engine, my arms tied behind my back. The vehicle stopped before starting up again, and I realized I must have been crammed in the back of a truck.</p><p>“Help!” I screamed, trying to wriggle out of my binds. “Someone help me!”</p><p>“Can you keep it down?” A girl’s voice said from the other side of the truck.</p><p>“Where are we?!” I shouted. She shushed me again.</p><p>“Stop yelling, you’ll get all of us in trouble.”</p><p>“A-all of us…?”</p><p>Something shifted next to me, and I squeaked. The girl sighed.</p><p>“We’re being transported.”</p><p>“T-transported?”</p><p>“Are you deaf?” The girl snarled. “Idiot. Where are you from, anyways?”</p><p>“Hope’s Creek…?” I responded, shifting in my bindings.</p><p>“I’ve… never heard of there.” She huffed. “Are you sure?”</p><p>“Y-yeah.” I whispered. “Where are we, anyways?”</p><p>“How should I know? We’re imports, not navigators. And there’s no windows.”</p><p>
  <em>Imports?</em>
</p><p>The truck bounced as it went over a small bump. The road was getting rocky and uneven, the figure next to me knocking my shoulder every time there was a sudden move.</p><p>“What’s your name?” I asked the faceless girl.</p><p>“Harukawa Maki. I don’t know why it matters, since we’ll probably never see each other again.”</p><p>Harukawa huffed slightly, moving over to sit directly next to me. All I could see were her deep red eyes and dark circles underneath. She reached out a slender hand to untie my binds, and I gasped softly.</p><p>“H-how did you get out?”</p><p>“It was easy. These guys are just cronies; they don’t know what they’re doing.” Harukawa sighed and discarded the ropes.</p><p>“Harukawa-san, where are we?” I asked for the third time. She sighed impatiently.</p><p>“I already told you. I don’t know.”</p><p>My breath hitched in my throat.</p><p>“I need to get home now, my mom is probably freaking out--”</p><p>“You have a mother?” Harukawa asked, suddenly sounding interested. “What is she like? Hope’s Creek, right? Are you from a state home with a mother, or did she send you away? Have you seen outside?”</p><p>“I’m not from a state home! My mom’s my real mom, and I need to get back to her!”</p><p>“What are you saying? Everyone here comes from a state home.”</p><p>“Well, I don’t! This… this guy kidnapped me, and now I’m here with you but I really need to get back home and--”</p><p>“You’re a stray? How did they find you?”</p><p>“I don’t understand, I just fell asleep and- and now I’m here!” My heart was racing, my eyes slowly adjusting to the dark. I could see Harukawa’s outline, as well as the person next to me. “I need to get home. I’m not supposed to be here.”</p><p>“Well, that doesn’t matter now. You’re one of us.”</p><p>“One… of you?”</p><p>“You’re a drifter, now. Just getting moved from home to home, facility to facility until we die. Or escape. Welcome to the club, uh…”</p><p>“H-Hinata Hajime. You said we’re going to a facility, right? Is it the one in the woods?”</p><p>“Nah, we’re going to the slaughterhouse.” Another voice said, laughing mischievously. “They’re gonna chop us up and feed us to rich people!”</p><p>“Ouma, stop.” Harukawa sighed. “He’s just trying to get a ruse out of you.”</p><p>“Am not, Harumaki!” The boy said, and I could hear the pout in his voice.</p><p>“Call me that again and I will knit a scarf out of your nervous system, you damned brat.”</p><p>“Harukawa-san, please, I need to get home…”</p><p>“No use in that, now.” The boy, Ouma, said. “Capitalist assholes love the taste of kids. But keep whining; the despair makes ‘ya taste better!”</p><p>“Ouma!” Harukawa hissed, and he shut up. “They don’t eat us, Hinata. They couldn’t get away with that.”</p><p>Somehow that wasn’t reassuring.</p><p>“Ouma is right, though.” She sounded reluctant to admit it. “There isn’t any point in trying to escape. Only a few of us kids have ever even tried, and we haven’t heard from them since. I’m sorry.”</p><p>The car was silent except for the sound of the engine running. I felt tears prick at the corners of my eyes; was I really stuck like this forever? A drifter, like Harukawa and Ouma? And what about Komaeda? Is he part of whatever this is, or something else entirely? I had more questions than answers now, huddling my knees to my chest.</p><p>A sudden light flicked on, and I turned my head to the source.</p><p>A lighter flame, held by a elementary-age boy with shaggy beige hair and pale blue eyes. Harukawa and Ouma turned to him as well, and it became clear to me that they didn’t know this kid. The flame was dim, but I could make out Harukawa and Ouma’s features. She had long brown hair tied up by two red hairties. He had dark black hair that fell over his eyes and shoulders; his eyes were an off-putting violet color. They were both wearing heavy white coats.</p><p>“Sorry…” The boy said sadly, staring at his feet. “I didn’t mean to interrupt you… please don’t hate me now…”</p><p>Harukawa and Ouma exchanged glances. I smiled reassuringly at the boy.</p><p>“It’s okay. We needed light anyways, so thank you.”</p><p>His face lit up at the praise, reminiscent of Komaeda’s. It made my heart ache just a bit in my chest, but my anxiety cooled for a second at his expression.</p><p>“Thank you for being nice to me…” He giggled. “I won’t burn your skin off…”</p><p>“Eh?” Ouma’s eyes widened. “Just him?”</p><p>“Shut up.” Harukawa glared at him. He blew a raspberry and looked away.</p><p>“What’s your name, buddy?” I stared at the boy. He scrunched his nose and stared at the floor.</p><p>“I’m Jataro Kemuri… I’m a priest…” He sighed. “My little fire is going to die soon…”</p><p>“You can turn it off.” I said. He smiled crookedly before releasing his grip on the lighter. The car went back to complete darkness, my eyes no longer used to it.</p><p>***</p><p>The vehicle continued down whatever bumpy path we were on for another twenty minutes when we heard a beeping sound outside the car. Harukawa quickly tied my hands back up, as well as Ouma’s and her own. My heart was beating at supersonic speeds.</p><p>Ouma was joking when he said we would be eaten, right? He and Harukawa were fine; it seemed like they had known each other for a while. I would be fine as long as I stuck with them. I practiced taking deep breaths as the vehicle rolled onto a smoother, paved road and slowed to a stop.</p><p>The sound of a car door opening was heard outside of the van. A couple of men were laughing as they walked to the back of the car and unlocked the trunk. Moonlight filled the cabin, and I tried to get a good look outside the van. I briefly wondered how difficult it would be to make a run for it. Harukawa shot me a disapproving glance, as if she had read my mind.</p><p>“Alright, cattle, let’s get a move on.” One of the men joked, and the other laughed heartily.</p><p>“H-hey, I think I’m not supposed to be here…?” I said to them. Harukawa and Ouma stared at me. “I-I mean, my mom is gonna be really worried--”</p><p>Both of the men burst into laughter, cackling menacingly. My cheeks burned red; why the hell weren’t they taking me seriously?</p><p>“Hey, bud, we’ve heard that one a million times. Come up with something else, yeah?”</p><p>“I’m serious--!”</p><p>“Can it.” The other guy stopped laughing, shooting me a glare. “Come on kid, we don’t have all night.” He put a hand on my shoulder and inched me out of the van, along with the other kids. There were about twelve of us, including Harukawa and Ouma. I reluctantly moved forward in a line, staring at our surroundings. It was… a parking lot? The van we came out of was identical to all the others, the words <em>REPAIR AND PLUMBING</em> pasted on the sides.</p><p>My heart jumped in my chest; wasn’t that the truck those women came from? Maybe Komaeda was with us. I stared out at the other kids, but none of them matched his head of fluffy not-blonde hair.</p><p>I noticed we were being led into a building, but I didn’t get to look at the outside before the doors closed behind us automatically. The inside of the building was painted with pastel blue and yellow, a neon sign reading <em>KIBOUGAMINE CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL </em>visible on one of the walls. It looked like a normal pediatrician’s waiting room, which eased my nerves slightly. I could just talk to a doctor and explain that this was all a misunderstanding, right?</p><p>“Wrong way.” One of the men said, eyeing me. He pulled me by the shirt over to a cargo elevator, where the rest of the kids were stuck inside. The doors closed loudly, and the man pushed the button that read 13, the elevator car rumbling and slowly moving upwards.</p><p>I noticed the machine gun strapped to his back, and I realized he was the guy who kidnapped me earlier. I gulped, shifting quietly. The girl standing next to me had short red hair, pulling her beanie down over her eyes. I took note that the younger-looking kids arms’ weren’t bound, which seemed unfair. Not that we even needed to be bound at all, with Mister Machine Gun patrolling us.</p><p>The doors creaked open to a much-less friendly looking floor, two women in lab coats waiting outside for us. The walls were painted white, contrasting the black-and-white tile floors that clicked under the heels of my shoes. The red-haired girl made a nervous <em>“nyeh”</em> sound before stepping out of the elevator. I followed her and stood in a line with the others as one of the women inspected us.</p><p>“E-excuse me, doctor, my name is Hinata Hajime and--" I started. She gave me an icy glare, and I stopped talking. She nodded in approval and moved over to the redhead.</p><p>The other woman approached me and took me by the arm, pulling me into an examination room and handing me a hospital gown with a crest printed on the left corner. She left the room, locking the door behind me.</p><p>“Shit.”</p><p>It was all I could think to say.</p><p>***</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Tsumiki and Komaeda: i think they would honestly be besties, considering how similar their experiences are in canon<br/>Maki Harukawa: I told you the V3 kids would make it in here somehow!! I love Maki and she is overhated :( also the "escapee" she mentioned that she hasn't heard from is Kaito<br/>Kokichi Ouma: he and maki would be the best friends that hate each other trope<br/>Jataro Kemuri: seriously a sweetheart; he reminds me so much of nagito sometimes that i think they would get along<br/>Kibougamine Gakuen: japanese name for 'hope's peak academy'<br/>13th floor: most buildings don't have a thirteenth floor, as it is considered unlucky<br/>Red-Haired girl: everyone's favorite mage, Himiko Yumeno!<br/>Crest: hope's peak crest</p><p>have a good weekend everyone :) stay safe!</p><p>-lev</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hinata makes a new friend.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>content warning for vomiting, needles, and panic attacks (not graphic)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>My feet dangled off the edge of the hospital bed, heart racing with anxiety. The doctor was clearly not pleased with this, because she kept shooting me glares and telling me to stop fidgeting.</p><p>“I’m going to need you to stand still.” She said coldly, putting a gloved hand on my forearm and wiping down the skin with a sanitizing wipe. She uncased a needle from its plastic container and attached it to a thin syringe filled with something yellow. I gulped.</p><p>“Just stay still, it barely feels like anything.”</p><p>***</p><p>There were two beds in the room, both looking extremely uncomfortable to sleep on. The pillows were cheap, filled with cotton and covered in a thin case. There were no windows anywhere, just a bathroom without a door and a sink without a drain cover. Everything was a bright white, from the popcorn ceilings to tile floors and cement walls. The doctor mumbled a quick goodbye and closed the door, leaving me alone in the room.</p><p>I sat down on one of the beds, feeling the thin sheets. The mattress was rock hard.</p><p>I felt my eyes begin to water, tears forming in the corners. I pulled my knees up to my chest, sniffling into the hospital gown. A sob escaped my throat, causing me to cough and curl up into a ball on the bed. My vision blurred from the tears, bright lights overhead melting together. I hiccupped, crying softly into the pillow.</p><p>“I want to go home…” I whispered to nobody, voice small. “Please, I want to go home.” I choked on my words, coughing violently and wiping my tear-stained face.</p><p>“I’m sorry…”</p><p>I whipped my head around, a meek boy with ashy blonde hair and grey-green eyes standing next to my bed. I wiped my face quickly, trying to look presentable. The boy bit his lip uncomfortably, putting a hand to his mouth as if he were about to be punished. I noticed the dark circles under his eyes.</p><p>“S-sorry, I didn’t see you there.” I said, sniffling. He shifted awkwardly. “Um, what’s your name?”</p><p>“Mitarai Ryota…” He said softly. “What is yours?”</p><p>“Hinata Hajime.”</p><p>He gave me a crooked smile, looking guilty. I tried to smile back.</p><p> “You’re new here, huh?” He cocked his head, fiddling with his hands. “Yeah, it can be scary at first… everything will be okay, though…”</p><p>“Were you kidnapped, too?”</p><p>“Oh, no.” Mitarai shook his head, sitting down on the other mattress. “I was sent here by my foster parents.”</p><p>
  <em>Just like Komaeda.</em>
</p><p>“What- what is this place?”</p><p>“Kibougamine Gakuen Children’s Hospital. It says so on the sign.”</p><p>“I mean, yeah, but this isn’t a normal hospital, right?”</p><p>He averted my eyes.</p><p>“I don’t know. I have no frame of reference, so I couldn’t say.”</p><p>“I have to get back home, Mitarai.” I told him. He looked down at the ground.</p><p>“You can’t.” He said sadly. “Someone has to come claim you, and that never happens.”</p><p>“My mom will come claim me.” I said.</p><p>“That isn’t how it works, Hajime-kun.” He sighed.</p><p>“Eh?” I tilted my head. “How does it work, then?”</p><p>“You should ask Kyoko-san, she knows more than me. I have a bad memory, you know.” He pointed to his forehead. “They take, and take, until there’s nothing left of me.”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“Huh, did I say something? I can’t remember.” He pursed his lips.</p><p>“Do you know a Komaeda Nagito, by any chance?” It couldn’t hurt to ask.</p><p>“Hm, I don’t think so. Sorry, I’m not much help; I forgot to mention my memory is going.”</p><p>“You did.”</p><p>“Did what?”</p><p>“Mentioned that your memory is going?”</p><p>“Oh, I did. I must have forgotten, I guess.” He laughed slightly. “I think my memory is going, Hajime-kun.”</p><p>***</p><p>Mitarai was a quiet sleeper, thank God. And aside from a few strange comments, he wasn’t a bad roommate. He showed me his prized possession; a stuffed <em>Totoro </em>plush from his birth mom. He slept cradling it in his hands.</p><p>I couldn’t sleep, so I flicked the light on and stared in the mirror. Luckily, Mitarai didn’t wake. I splashed cold water on my face, opening the medicine cabinet behind the mirror, which was shatterproof. They had taken great precautions to keep us from getting hurt, I noticed. There was a bottle of sleeping pills, but I didn’t take them. I wasn’t going to ingest anything from this place unless I absolutely had to.</p><p>I stared at the popcorn ceiling tiles blankly, waiting for someone to open one and come rescue me. I imagined Nanami’s calm face extending a hand, telling me to come with her.</p><p>Still nothing.</p><p>What did Mitarai mean by “claiming”? Was someone going to come buy me, like I was livestock? Was Ouma right, that we would be cannibalized by rich people?</p><p>
  <em>You’re never getting out of here.</em>
</p><p>The thought hit me like a freight train, knocking the wind out of my lungs and causing me to double over. I gagged, coughing into the toilet. My head was spinning, heart thumping painfully against my chest.</p><p>“Hajime-kun?”</p><p>Mitarai was kneeling next to me, his hand on my shoulder. I looked up at him with wet eyes.</p><p>“H-hey. Sorry for waking you up…”</p><p>“It’s okay. Are you having a panic attack?”</p><p>“I- I- I don’t know, I think maybe…?”</p><p>He nodded.</p><p>“Okay. Do you want to talk about it?”</p><p>“Can- can we talk about something e-else, please?”</p><p>“Sure. Have you ever seen<em> Howl’s Moving Castle?</em>”</p><p>“Uh, I- I don’t think so, no.”</p><p>Mitarai spent the rest of the night explaining the plot of the movie until I fell asleep.</p><p>***</p><p>I woke up on a hard mattress, eyes opening to the white popcorn ceiling above me. Mitarai must have carried me back to bed after I fell asleep in the bathroom; I made a mental note to thank him for that.</p><p>I sat up from my position, looking around the room. Mitarai was washing his hands in the sink, dressed in a shirt and pants. I shakily got to my feet, and he turned around.</p><p>“You’re awake. Good.” He grabbed a garment hanging from the mirror and handed it to me. It was similar to the one I was already wearing, this time much shorter. Underneath the item of clothing was a pair of pants that would definitely be too long. The Kibougamine crest was still in the corner of the shirt.</p><p>“You can change, I won’t look.” He put a hand over his eyes to prove his point.</p><p>“Thanks.” I said, slipping off my hospital gown and pulling the shirt over my head. There was no collar or buttons, and the sleeves were short. It was reminiscent of what I saw Komaeda wearing when I first met him. My heart ached at the not-so-distant memory. The pants fell way over my ankles, dragging on the floor.</p><p>“You can open your eyes now.” I told him, and he retracted his hand.</p><p>“There’s a pair of slippers under your bed,” Mitarai noted. “They might be big on you, but you should wear them unless you want to get in trouble.”</p><p>“Noted.” I said, grabbing the blue slippers from where they were resting and slipping them on my feet. “Do we have toothbrushes?”</p><p>“No,” He lamented, turning off the sink water. “They don’t trust us with those, but you can use the mouthwash that’s left.” He handed me a small plastic cup filled halfway with green liquid. “I kind of drank some already, sorry.”</p><p>I could see spit floating in the cup, and I dumped it down the drain.</p><p>“I’m okay.” I said, resting the cup next to the sink. “What time is it?”</p><p>“The breakfast bell is going to ring soon.” He explained, which was a bit of a non-answer, but I nodded anyways. “We’re allowed to eat breakfast with the girls, but we can’t touch them or anything.”</p><p>Just then, a loud beeping sound came over the speakers in the corner of the room, which I hadn’t even noticed before. Mitarai sighed and combed his hair with his fingers, watching the door to the room slowly open. He stepped out into the hall, and I followed close behind him.</p><p>All the other doors in the hallway were open in the same fashion, one or two boys dressed in white trailing outside into an organized line in the hallway. I stood on my toes, trying to get a glimpse of Komaeda’s cloud of hair, but to no avail.</p><p>“Hey, spiky hair!” Someone grabbed my arm, and I yelped. Big violet eyes stared up at me.</p><p>“Ouma?”</p><p>“Bingo! How was your first night, newbie?” He smiled deviously.</p><p>“It was… fine.” I lied.</p><p>“Ooh, liar!” Ouma giggled, smacking me in the face lightly.</p><p>“Ow, what the--”</p><p>“I know a liar when I see one, spiky!”</p><p>I glanced down at him, eyes narrowing. He let go of my arm and chuckled.</p><p>“So cold! I can see why Harumaki likes you.”</p><p>“Eh, she likes me? I thought she hated me.”</p><p>“It seems like that sometimes, but you gotta know her! I mean, she loves me!”</p><p>I didn’t think that was true, but I kept my mouth shut.</p><p>The doors to the cafeteria opened suddenly to the sight of around twenty girls already seated at tables. Harukawa was among them, poking at a piece of toast with a plastic fork. Ouma waved to her, and she rolled her eyes. I couldn’t see anyone I so much as recognized besides them and Mitarai, who left to go sit by himself. The girls were all wearing the same outfits as us, with their hair in a low ponytail. Ouma pulled me over to Harukawa’s table, and I waved to Mitarai to come with us. He followed, staring at the ground.</p><p>“Good morning, sleepyhead!” Ouma smiled widely at her, and she rolled her eyes.</p><p>“Oh, you’re still alive.”</p><p>He pouted, and I didn’t miss the smirk that flashed her face.</p><p>“Get food, will you? I’m tired of looking at your face.”</p><p>“Eh, Harumaki-chan, don’t be so edgy!” He laughed, turning around to get food. People were staring at us, their eyes wide. I sunk into my seat, not wanting to be the center of attention any longer. Mitarai was staring as well.</p><p>“Is something wrong?” I asked. He shook his head.</p><p>“N-no, not at all. We just- it’s not often we get to see people so lively.”</p><p>“I’m not the lively one,” Harukawa droned, spreading jam on her toast. “Ouma’s just like this all the time, you guys will get used to it.”</p><p>“It’s a nice change of pace.” Mitarai smiled softly, and Harukawa shrugged.</p><p>“Maybe. I’m glad to see you doing well, Hinata.” She turned to me.</p><p>“Oh, uh…” I inhaled. “I don’t know if I’m doing good at all, honestly. I really need to get back home; say, do you know anything about being claimed?”</p><p>“No idea, sorry. Truth be told, Ouma and I have been to a lot of these places, and this is the nicest one to date. Don’t get too used to breakfast.” She smiled dryly. “I’m still puzzled, honestly. This is the nicest facility I’ve ever stayed in; it’s not overcrowded, they don’t beat us, and we get real food. It’s perfect, and…” Harukawa looked around the room to the silent kids. “They all look so sad.”</p><p>“What about escapees?” I pressed further.</p><p>“They exist, I know that for sure. I don’t think they last long outside. The world is so different than what us import kids are used to, or so I’ve heard.”</p><p>“What is an import kid, anyways?” I asked her.</p><p>“You, me, Ouma, him,” She pointed to Mitarai, who shrunk back. “All of us.” She gestured to the others in the room. “Most are from state homes and foster care, but a few are transferred here by their birth parents. If you turn a special kid, like us, into one of these hospitals, you get a big check.” She pinched her fingers together, rubbing them to symbolize money.</p><p>Ouma plopped down next to me with a tray of food. He put a strawberry in his mouth, making a face.</p><p>“Ugh, these are sour!” He stuck his tongue out. “They looked so good…”</p><p>I opened a pack of sugar from the table and handed it to him. He raised an eyebrow.</p><p>“Ah, um, it makes them more juicy. If you put sugar and water, I mean.”</p><p>“Huh, thanks.” He smiled. “You’ve got street smarts.”</p><p>“Leave it be, Ouma.” Harukawa sighed. “Sorry about him.” She didn’t look particularly sorry.</p><p>“Oh, it’s okay, actually.”</p><p>“You’re not eating, Hajime-kun?” Mitarai stared at me, taking a bite of his apple. I shook my head. “Do you want my jello cup?”</p><p>“No thanks. I don’t trust this place.” I rested my face on my hand, trying to ignore the growing hunger in my stomach. “Um, Mitarai-kun?”</p><p>“Yeah?”</p><p>“Yesterday, um, you mentioned someone who might know about how to get out. A Kyoko something?”</p><p>“Oh, Kirigiri Kyoko-san.” He gestured to a lilac-haired girl sitting by herself in the corner of the room. “If anyone knows something, it’s her.”</p><p>***</p><p>Kirigiri Kyoko was somehow scarier than Harukawa. She had piercing pale eyes and leather gloves on her hands. She looked like one of the nurses, but she wore the same scrubs as everyone else. I stood over her table, gulping quietly.</p><p>“Do you need something?” She asked, her voice completely flat. “If not, I’d like to eat my breakfast in peace.”</p><p>“Are you Kirigiri Kyoko?” I asked, trying to sound a calm as she did.</p><p>“That depends on who’s asking.”</p><p>“Hinata Hajime, ma’am.”</p><p>“Don’t call me ma’am, I’m fifteen.”</p><p>“Sorry.” I said, fidgeting with the jello cup in my hands. I placed it on the table. “I, uh, I got you this.”</p><p>She stared at it.</p><p>“Is this a peace offering?”</p><p>“No, ma-- Kirigiri-san.” I cleared my throat. “I need to talk to you.”</p><p>“I’m waiting.”</p><p>I sat down at the table, directly across from her.</p><p>“My name is Hinata Hajime, and I’m not supposed to be here.”</p><p>***</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Ryota: best boy makes his appearance! he acts similar to komaeda because they were raised in the same facility and both lack social and emotional manners<br/>Hospital room: i've only been to mental hospitals, so i modeled the room to look like the ones i've stayed in in the past<br/>Kyoko: she's cool B)</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hope's Creek: I think I'm funny. Also, I want the river to be a part of the story somehow.<br/>Hajime: for now, he doesn't have a talent. that might change, it might not.<br/>Chiaki: she is very much alive and very much a gaymer. sonia will appear later.<br/>Hajime's Mother: business mom, i also think she's a single parent.<br/>Ring: this is the hope's peak ring obtained from the mono-mono machine in the game. it's one of Nagito's favorite gifts.<br/>Nagito's mannerisms: I assume he doesn't really understand how to talk to people, hence him calling Hajime by his given name and undressing next to him.<br/>Clair de Lune: the ndrv3 kids may or may not show up later, but for now this is a tribute to best girl.<br/>Monomi: hajime is a cat person. also, i wanted to include her and Monokuma.<br/>Title: a lana del rey song</p></blockquote></div></div>
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